


Cielo Ladybug

by LovePuppy25



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Enemy Mafia Famiglia, F/M, Gen, I'm a slut for references, Mystery, OCs - Freeform, Supernatural (not the show sorry)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-06-06 13:04:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 81,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15195371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovePuppy25/pseuds/LovePuppy25
Summary: "The only thing that’s going to kill me before anything, is exhaustion."Life as a superhero has its pros and cons. Pros being the love of the fans and amazing abilities. Cons being the lying, secret-keeping, and endless work. At first, that’s all she had to worry about. School, Akumas, crushes, etc. But now?"Wait!...I'm a what?!"Now! It's School, Akumas, crushes, Famiglia, and BABIES?! Wait. Grown Babies?! What!?"Can't I get a break?"In which, Marinette is next in line for the Vongola throne.





	1. "I'm a What!?"

High up in a pure blue sky was the bright glowing sun. It brought warms and light to the world below it. It fueled the ground and made the dew covered grass twinkle like stars.  _Just like his eyes._ There was the chirping of birds filling the air yet they remained unseen. The usual clouds in the sky were nowhere to be found. Sitting on a park bench, were two children. A girl and a boy.

The girl had black hair that seemed to shine blue in just the right light. Her eyes were the color of the sky and were focused on the male next to her. A single word to describe him would be, Sunshine. Everything about him screamed a bright sunny day. From his golden waves that shone like the sun to his green eyes like the soft grass surrounding them. Even the smile that was edged onto his face was perfect. The tranquil air gave the illusion that nothing could ever break the peace. With their eyes connected and their hearts locked, they sat in this peace.

"Marinette." the boy spoke. His voice was as smooth as honey and dipped in affection.

Marinette glowed once he called her by name. A lovesick sigh escaped her lips as she smiled and address him back. "Adrien."

Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest and her eyes scanned him. They lingered on his hair and lips while her mind wandered. She wondered how it would feel to run her hands in his hair. To feel the strands that she had been so familiar with staring at. She was curious as to what his lips would feel like against her own. As well as how they would taste. The thought made her cheeks redden. This boy, Adrien or so fondly known as the Love of Her Life, reached on and gently cupped her cheek. His eyes soften and she could hear the angels sing. His other arm curled around her waist as he pulled her towards him. Losing herself in his eyes, she let her vision get clouded by her emotions. Her heart was drumming and her mind was reeling. This was it. This was the moment that she had been waiting for her whole life.

"Marinette," his voice was in a whisper. His head leaned towards her and she followed suit.

"Yes?" She spoke, urging him to continue. They were now only breaths away from each other.

"Marinette, I-"

_**BEEP BEEP BEEP** _

A loud noise exited through his lips. Successfully cutting his sentence. Yet the boy acted as if it hadn't occurred.  _What. Was. That._ Caught off guard, she pulled back and questioned him.

"W-What did you say?"

"I said, I-"

_**BEEP BEEP BEEP** _

Marinette's eyes shot open and she found herself staring at her trapdoor. The color drained from her face in realization. That beautiful scene that seemed to come straight out of a film. Unreal and too perfect. Was just that…unreal.  _It was a dream._  The sky looked like her dream. Big and blue with the sun dancing it's rays around. Yet it had large clouds floating by. Sighing, she turned to the noise that woke her from her dream. It was her phone, it sat plugged in, next to her pillow. The screen was glowing and emitting that terrible sound. Without thinking, she reached over an picked it up. Tired eyes scanned the numbers before she dismissed the alarm. She set it down and let her eyes close again. The girl had a moment of peace before the numbers registered in her mind. Her eyes snapped back open.

She shrieked and sprung from her loft bed. "I'm late! LATE!"

She barely had time to think as her body worked on autopilot to get ready. She zipped around the room, jumped and hopped, trying to get her clothes on. She nearly tore her hair out trying to do it so fast.  _Why was it choosing to be difficult today!?_

"I tried waking you up but I kept hearing, 'Adrien~'." there was a small, high pitched giggle coming from her right.

"Tikki!" She whined while tugging on her uneven and messy pigtails, "I have no time!"

"Oh alright! Now let me help you with your hair." Tikki spoke before she quickly fixed the poor chosen's hair.

Marinette grabbed her belongings. A backpack and a purse. She flew down and out of her attic room. Her father was busy in the kitchen and saw her coming. He pulled out a fresh piece of toast and handed it to her. She grabbed it and quickly took large bites out of it as she ran to the front door.

"Bye Papa!" she didn't look back as she ran out of their apartment and down into the bakery.

Her mother was working the register and saw her coming. "Ah! Marinette, wait before you go, I have to tell you that a fam-"

"No time, Maman! I'll see you later!" Not catching her mother's response, she raced out the door and to her school.

It was in cases like these where she was thankful for living right across from the school. Marinette was late quite often in her short school career. Of course with good reason. She was the hero of Paris and being a hero meant that sacrifices were in order. So sleep was naturally sacrificed over everything. But because of the fact that no one could know her secret, she was forced to construct lies-excuses as she would call them. Luckily, she made it in just the nick of time. She slid into her chair right before the teacher could walk in. The teacher, Mlle. Bustier gave her a fond but exasperated smile before starting the lesson. Most likely having seen her run through the halls to get there in time.

Marinette took her time to catch her breath.

"Well, well. If it isn't Sleeping Beauty. You were almost late  _again_!" someone whispered to her.

She responded by playfully rolling her eyes. Alya. Marinette's best friend and one of Ladybug's fans. She ran a blog that she lovingly named the LadyBlog. It kept tabs, updates, and theories on everything Ladybug and Chat Noir. Thankfully, Alya and no one have found out the identity of the masked entity.  _I hope it stays that way._

Living a double life, was not as exciting as movies made it out to be. It was tough trying to not only be herself but save the world and keep the media off her back. Although, she could argue that it was, in fact, the best thing to happen to her. As Marinette, she was surrounded by people she loved and was able to follow her dreams while still learning along the way. As Ladybug, she was the adored spotted hero who fought beside one of her best friends, Chat Noir. He was an incorrigible flirt that took every opportunity to drop a pun, but she adored him. She wouldn't have anyone else be her partner than him. It was a fact that she wouldn't have even been Ladybug if not for him. And despite the exhaustion that came with the job, It's worth it. It was worth it if she could keep the people and the city she loved safe. That didn't stop the fact that it was so tiring and somewhat avoidable. Like if a certain blonde would just act kinder towards her fellow humans.

"It was an accident! I was dreaming," she whispered back. A blush creeping on her face as she thought of the dream.

"Mmhm. And I know about who." Alya teased before chuckling to herself.

 _How could I not dream of him?_  Adrien Agreste. He's was the schools-no Paris's crowned jewel. The most famous and prestigious motel. Handsome, kind, caring, friendly. Just all around good guy. More like the perfect boy. Well, that's not what Marinette believed at first, but then an umbrella in the rain changed her mind. Her eyes instantly turned to her front and landed on a mop of gold hair, Adrien. She felt a pleasant sigh escape her lips.  _I could stare at him all- Wait…that sounds too creepy!_

Suddenly, she saw something flicker and gleam in the corner of her eye. Turning her gaze, reluctantly, to the windows she found nothing out of the ordinary.  _Nothing. Weird_. She continued to admire her beloved one before seeing a glimmer. She turned back and saw nothing. She stared and internally questioned herself. Maybe it wasn't coming from the window and instead from her classmates? She scanned the row across from her and narrowed her eyes. No one seemed to have anything reflective out. Except for Chloé, who had a mirror on her desk. Brushing it off as just a glare from her mirror she went to look away when she saw something fall from the building across from her school. It twinkled in the light before falling out of view.

_What was that?_

The bell rang and the teacher dismissed the class. The class pilled out, eager to leave. Marinette packed her stuff up and turned back to the windows across from her. She slid from behind her desk and walked down the short steps. It was probably just something that someone dropped. Like a mirror or a ring. Something that caught the light. Besides, she was in school right now. She had no reason to run out unless an Akuma decided to rage in the city again. So the object was dismissed out of her memory just as her alarm was. However, she couldn't stop a sudden aching feeling in her gut that migrated up to her brain and became an on and off headache. Depending on where she turned it got worse. And while they were getting dressed for PE, it was blaring. Deciding that maybe, it was just one of  _those_ days, she left the locker rooms to go ask their teacher if she could see the nurse. A migraine this bad had to mean something.

When she got out, she saw that everyone was standing around. Chloé wasn't dressed, as usual, her face in her phone. Adrien was next to Nino being perfect as usual. But the teacher was suspiciously absent. She sighed and decided to give up. If she left and the teacher came, she would be marked absent and then the record she was trying so hard to fix would crumble  _again_. So she stood around and waited for the teacher to appear. After it seemed like everyone was dressed and ready(Minus Chloé), the teacher finally arrived. They were odd.

The teacher wore an obviously expensive suit and a fedora to match. But that wasn't the oddest thing. They lived in Paris after all. Designer suits were not uncommon to see. They had a model in their class for crying out loud. No, the oddest thing was the person's height. They were astronomically short. Like infant size. She had a hard time believing they were the teacher at first. Especially when they spoke.

"Alright kids, Your teacher had to take a sick day today, so I'm your temporary Substitute." his squeaky high voice made it obvious that he was a child. Did the substitute bring their kid to work? Maybe a babysitter wasn't available.

The class was silent before they started to snicker and laugh. An infant teach PE? It was laughable. She would've joined them if not for the warning signals going off in her head. She didn't know why she felt wary of the child. But she knew that making fun of the kid for an obvious prank would probably spell out a recipe for disaster. Another akumatized child was not something she wanted to deal with. Besides, there was something off about him. He had these strange sideburns that curled. They were extremely familiar to a figure she once saw in her younger years. She glanced over at Adrien and found he looked more confused than amused.

While she pondered over the similarities, Kim decided to be…Kim again and walked up to the kid. He held in his laughter as he kneeled down in front of the child.

"Hey squirt, are you lost? This isn't really a place for little guys like you." Kim glanced over his shoulder and called back, "No offense Nathanael!" the crowd giggled while the artist rolled his eyes.

Looking back at the kid, Kim reached out and patted his hat. "Maybe you can let us know where your Maman is so we can get you back home sa-"

Kim suddenly shouted out in pain and ended up face planting onto the floor. His arm was twisted behind his back and held there by none other than the kid. The laughing suddenly stopped as the crowd went pale.

"It seems I have a volunteer for our first exercise." there was a gleam in his eyes that made everyone start to sweat.

_That look why is it so terrifyingly familiar?_

A fragment of a memory suddenly surfaced. The scene was fuzzy, but she could remember seeing a lot of gold and shiny things. There was a crest that she had known all too well. She had been laying on a fuzzy pink blanket (something she had long gotten rid of) with a black sketchbook in front of her. The pages all had that same glittering crest in the upper corner. Showing just exactly who it was created by. She remembered showing a badly drawn man in a suit off to a tall pair of men. One had brown gravity-defying hair and the other unforgettable curly sideburns.

 _"What's that supposed to be?"_ a deep voice had questioned quite rudely.

 _"Reborn!"_ the other scolded him.

 _"It's you!"_ she remembered her younger self cheerfully saying. Blissfully unaware of the insult.  _"Since Monsieur Reborn is so cool, I drew him! See the little curls?"_

The brunette had given her wide eyes.  _"Since when did you think Reborn was coo-!?"_

 _"I like this kid, she's smarter than you ever were."_ The man with the sideburns, Reborn, smirked with that same gleam in his eyes.  _"Maybe we should start training her for the-"_

_"Reborn!"_

It ended there. But she now knew who this kid reminded her of. Did that man have a child? If so, could this kid be…?  _There's no mistaking those sideburns._

"-Any questions?!" no one answered. Marinette suddenly realized that she had been zoning out while the kid was…"teaching".

"No? Okay then, Dupain-cheng!" she suddenly straightened her back and looked down at the "instructor" with wide eyes.

"Yes?" she squeaked.

"You'll be the first one up." that smirk was eerily familiar. It only solidified her theory.

 _It's like he knew I wasn't paying attention!_  She felt a shiver run down her spine as she stepped forward. A part of knew she would be fine. She was Ladybug after all. Though, she was never one to show off in PE.  _I'm sure Adrien would be better at this than me. I didn't even know what I'm supposed to do!_ She walked and stood in front of the "teacher" who gave her another unnerving smirk.

"Now all you need to do is take down Monsieur Le Chein Kim here. I'm sure it'll be a walk in the park for you." the last bit of that sentence made her nervous. Why would he say that? Unless…Did he know?  _No! This…child couldn't know. No one does._

Kim, who was getting up from being used like a test dummy, did not seem to be pleased with his plan. "Oi! No offense Marinette, but she's kind of…eh…small. I don't think that she should go against me. Maybe someone else…like Chloé!"

"Oh! Are you afraid that Marinette might wipe the floor with you? Need I remind you, you just got owned by an Infant?" Alix taunted.

"Can it, Kubdel! I'm just saying someone of my height and weight might be a little too much. I'm just looking out for our class president."

She didn't know why but being underestimated by someone made her want to show off as much as she could. Kim may be an Athlete, but she was a Hero. Feeling a familiar spark inside her, she grinned and cocked her head to the side.

"Don't worry Kim, I'll end this quickly enough so your pride won't be bruised too badly."

A chorus of "OOH"'s filled the room. Kim huffed and dusted his shoulder's off.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

The two stood opposing one another. They psyched themselves up by doing minor stretches before it started. The crowd shouted out the name's of who they deemed the winner was going to be. She could pinpoint the few who were cheering for her opponent. Chloé, who hated her; Sabrina, who followed Chloé; and Max, who was doing the probability of her winning. Given the fact that she hadn't shown off her skills to the class. She guessed Max had reason to suspect she would be the one going down.  _I guess that changes now._

"Alright, the rules are simple. There are no rules. Just immobilize or take down the other person." the infant smirked and brought out a toy green gun.

He aimed it to the sky and shot. She was startled at the fact that it sounded like an actual gun. But wasn't given anytime to think about the reason to that any further. Kim launched at her. Instinctively, Marinette leaped over the athlete and landed in a crouch behind him. She briefly looked over her shoulder at her target before kicking back. She aimed right at the lower middle of his back. The kick added to his already continued momentum sent him down. Marinette pushed herself up and spun on her heel. Quickly, she pressed her knee on his back and twisted his arm behind him. Holding him like that, she grabbed his head and pressed it downward. His cheek rubbed right into the marble floor.

All around her, the crowd jumped to life with cheers and excitement. She smirked with pride as Kim grumbled underneath her. The infant strolled over to them while pulling his hat slightly down. The only thing showing was his grin. Her eyes widened at the striking similarities. She's seen that man do that before.  _Like father like son?_

"You'll do well."

She (and apparently Kim, who heard it too) hummed in confusion before the front doors flew open with a bang. Everyone turned to see. Standing there, face red and panting like she had just ran around the city, was their real teacher. Her hair was a mess and she looked like she had been in the rain. Barely breathing, she spoke.

"Sorry….I'm late…There was unbelievable…traffic! Then someone ruined my tires!...then some cop with a lizard stopped me. Anyway.." she stood up straight and staggered over. "I'm here, what's going on?"

Everyone looked back at the substitute. They all collectively gasped when they saw that the child vanished into thin air. 

* * *

After the complete nonsense that went down in the gym, Marinette didn't think the day could get any weirder than that. It seemed like the universe wanted to prove her wrong.

It was Lunch and Marinette was just enjoying her time watching Adrien from across the courtyard. With a metal lunch box in her lap containing her food, she hadn't touched a single bit. Too entranced by the model.

"You know…you can go over and sit next to him. Have lunch with him." Alya suggested.

She smiled at the great idea and grabbed the box in her lap. Then, she heard the shrill of a harpy.

"Adrikins!"

Her cheeks turned red with anger and jealousy as she saw Chloé flop next to Adrien and Nino. The blonde gave a glare at the DJ and inspiring director before flapping her eyelashes at Adrien. Marinette leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms angrily. Alya gave her a comforting pat on her shoulder.

"There, there. There's always next time."

She sighed, before opening her lunch. Taking a bit into her meal, she saw the front doors open. In walked a pair of men in black suits. Obviously, bodyguards going by their build. She wondered who they were here for. Adrien? But he already had a bodyguard. That one man. Maybe his father got more? She looked down at her food when another thought came up.  _Maybe they're for Chloé._ She scoffed and continued eating. Suddenly, a shadow casted over her and she looked up. To her utter surprise, the bodyguards were standing in front of  _her_.  _What?!_

"Are you Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" one said with a deep and intimidating voice.

Unable to form words, she nodded.

The other cocked its head and he smiled at her. "We have orders to take you out for Lunch."

"B-But I already…" she looked at her lunch box then at Alya, whose jaw was completely dropped.

"Please come with us," they spoke in unison.

Marinette scanned the others around her and saw that everyone was hushed and looking right at her. Letting out a sigh, she placed her lunch to the side and stood up. The two men instantly flanked her and escorted her to the doors.  _What is happening?_ She tried not to notice how the kids gathered together and walked in a group behind them. Just far enough to not to be noticed by the two men. Though, she was sure they were well aware of the crowd she gathered. When they opened the front doors, she was greeted by a long white limo. On its side was a crest that she knew well in her youth. Its name was uttered softly in awe and pure happiness but was the same that was screamed out by the crowd behind her.

"Vongola!?"

Everyone who had ever been alive knew of this company. They were like the Gabriel's of the…well entire market (minus fashion. She should really ask why that was). Extravagant, expensive, and EVERYWHERE. Though, they were more famous for their technology. In fact, even Adrien has a Vongola manufactured phone! (A fact she knew because of that one time she stole his phone) And its story is of a noble one. It started out as a small charity in Sicily during a time of hardship. There were only 7 members at the time. They build themselves up into the corporate giant they are today. Though, most of the success can be attributed to the current head. Who not only brought immense profit to their company but also turned it back it's Charity roots. Each year, the company is rewarded for its charitable efforts and it's all thanks to one man in particular.

Marinette was practically buzzing as they lead her to the limo door. As one of them opened the door, she heard a cry of disbelief. She instantly knew who it was from. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Chloé with Adrien. Adrien seemed shocked like everyone else. While Chloé looked a more angry than shocked. Her face was turning red as Marinette was placed inside the Limo. Feeling smug, she gave her a little wave before the door was closed. When it did, she could see the blonde go off behind the tinted windows as they drove away.  _Thank god for soundproof doors._

Grinning, she turned her head to see the other person in the car. Her smile brightened before dropping. It was not who she was expecting. Sitting across from her was a man in a black suit with curly sideburns and a green Chameleon on his fedora.

"You don't seem pleased? And here I went through the trouble to bring the limo." the man said.

"I was expecting Uncle Tsuna," she confessed.

Uncle Tsuna or more commonly known as Sawada Tsunayoshi(or the reverse depending on where you are). He was the head of Vongola Enterprises. The famous company/charity. And he was her…well not her uncle. He was her mother's cousin. Making him, to her, her cousin once removed. But he was close to their family. So he felt more like a brother to her mother and by extension an Uncle to her. He had helped her parents when they were trying to get their bakery off the ground.  _Though, not too much._ Her mother didn't allow him to use more than 10,000 euros to help them. Something about not depending too much on him. And when her parents were busy or on vacation, he looked after her. Each year, they would go to Italy to see him or vice versa. Though, it's been 4 years since they last went out there. Didn't mean he was completely cut off from their life. He sent presents every year for Christmas and her birthday! But seeing the Vongola Limo, she naturally thought…

_Of course, he wouldn't be here…he's ahead of a company! He's probably busy._

"Patience, Dame-Mari."

"I thought I told you not to call me that." she grumbled before adding, "Monsieur Reborn."

Reborn smirked, "No, if I remember correctly, you were so excited when I called you that. Something about being like Dame-Tsuna?"

She blushed in embarrassment. That was right. When she had first heard the man across from her call her "Uncle" that. Too excited to care, she declared that she wanted to be called that too. Reborn had no issue with that, but her Uncle did. She didn't understand why until he told her the true meaning behind the word "Dame" ever since she despised the nickname "Dame-Mari". But it had been too late. The damage was done.

"That was years ago! Besides, where's Uncle?"

"Dame-Tsuna is in a meeting right now with another boss."

"Another company head? Who?"

"Yeah, he's making a deal with them. Afterward, he wanted to surprise your family with a visit since he was in the area."

"So, you picked me up at lunch even though I live right over there?" she pointed out at her house that they conveniently passed. "All to spoil Uncle's surprise?"

"Yes and no."

_Then why did he pick me up?_

"I did it to tell you something important. I'm sure you are aware of the lack of a successor to Vongola."

"Yeah, but couldn't he just give it to his vice president?"  _it's 20XX after all._

"Vongola doesn't work that way." The man leaned back in his seat as the pet ran around the rim of his hat. "It was pathetic of your Uncle to hide the truth from you. You were bound to get involved one day. But the truth is Vongola isn't just a Company."

"Yeah, …it's a charity. I kno-Ow!" she cradled her head. The man had just suddenly pulled a green fan out of nowhere and whacked her.

"Let me finish. It's not just a Company, it's a Mafia. The strongest in fact."

"You're joking." she didn't seem pleased with this stunt he was trying to pull. Mafia? No way. Seriously, he needed to tell her why he picked her up already. She needed to get back to her daily Adrien watching.

"It's no joke. Vongola is a Mafia Famiglia and you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are next in line to be the Boss. Vongola Undicesimo or in your case Undicesima."

The lack of humor on his face made it seem to real. She shook her head. "No, you're joking! Vongola isn't a mafia! This is just some sick joke and I'm tired of hearing it! Just take me back to school or better yet drop me off here if you're going to make jokes like that."

_Vongola can't be a mafia. Because that would make Tsuna…a criminal. A murder. A…everything bad!_

She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. The designer turned her head away and out the window where she spotted people running and screaming. Or at least they looked like they could be screaming from the facial expressions they were making.

"I guess that's your cue, Ladybug."

She whipped her head towards him. Her eyes were blown wide. Words rushed out of her mouth as she struggled over them. "H-How...what? Why-wait."

"We'll speak later after you save the day."

"But-!" suddenly a tiny red sprite flew from her purse.

Tikki, her kwami, hovered in front of her in plain view of Reborn. "We don't have time! Let's go!"

She sighed before looking back over to Reborn. He was staring at Tikki with interest. Almost like a scientist trying to understand how something works. Or more accurately, like he wanted to dissect her.  _Something tells me that this won't be a regular akuma fight._


	2. Crowned Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dynamic duo fight against the foe of the day, a cheated gambler. As the house of cards starts to crumble, Ladybug is forced to play a wild card due to the interference of a certain hitman. Will she succeed or will she be forced to fold?

Marinette, now Ladybug, zipped through the skies of Paris. She followed the sounds of the people screams. She tried not to think about figuring out how Reborn knew that she was Ladybug. She had a city to save first. It didn't take long for her to get to the scene. There she spotted her partner dueling it out with the villain of the day. She called out to Chat Noir, trying to get his attention. She assumed the cat heard her because he perked up and smirked her way.

"Ah! My lady! How nice of mew to join us!" he winked at me before dodging an attack. _Was that a poker card?_

She rolled her eyes at his antics, "Have you found the akuma?"

"I'm pretty sure that it's in the bracelet." he pointed towards the small red bracelet that rested on the wrist of the Akuma.

The akuma was _decked_ out in a black and white suit. The undershirt was black while the jacket was an angel white. The jacket, however, was long like a musician's coat. The ends came all the way down and curled around to the front of the Akuma's thighs. She wore a large top hat with a black ribbon around its base. On the hat, was all the suits of playing cards. The hat covered the top of long black hair that seemed to flow in the wind,  The bracelet was pretty much the only color on them. The akuma growled at them before yelling out.

"I am Crowned Ace, The **_greatest_** Poker player to have ever lived! I won't let some cheater steal my title!" the akuma, Crowned Ace, proceed to throw its trusty cards at the duo.

While Chat leaped to the left, Ladybug sprung to the right. Just barely dodging a multitude of razor-sharp cards. She received a slice on her leg, however, thanks to the tough material of her suit, it barely left a scratch. The akuma rose it's arm up. In its hand were 5 playing cards. An ace of hearts, 9 of spades, a- Suddenly, the cards were thrown at her once again. She curled and rolled forward, successfully ducking under the flying cards. She stood back up and decided to bring out her lucky charm. She wanted this end, so she can get back and find out how Reborn knew her secret.

"Lucky Charm!" she yelled out.

The yo-yo was tossed into the air. White and red light collected around the spinning object before it faded out and dropped a pair of scissors in her waiting hand. _What am I going to do with this?_ She watched the world flash to gray and looked for the places/things that would highlight in the colorless world. She saw the light pole, scissors, the jacket, and bracelet flash. Then everything went back to normal.

"You gotta plan, Ladybug? 'Cause I don't think we can _afford_ to _deal_ with this akuma." Chat smirked, obviously proud of his puns.

She pouted at Chat before rolling her eyes fondly, "I need you to cover me!"

He nodded, "Got it!"

Chat leapt back at Crowned Ace and taunted the poor thing, trying to buy Ladybug time to think of a plan that would surely save them all.

"Hey! I think it’s time you _folded_ your cards and _called_ it a day?"

"NEVER!" the akuma bellowed out and threw a flurry of cards at the punny cat.

Ladybug grabbed her yo-yo and threw it at the lamp post. She ran to the side, jumped, and used to momentum to swing around the post and into the distracted akuma's back. Ladybug prepared to double kick the akuma's back. Only for it to backfire on her. Crowned Ace suddenly whipped around, a purple butterfly symbol glowed over their eyes. Ladybug couldn't stop the momentum. She tried swerving to the side, but to no avail. The akuma grabbed her ankles, in a tight iron grip, then she flung her into the nearest building. The lucky charm left her grip and fell to the ground, forgotten. Her yo-yo unraveled from the pole and flew with her.

The heroine crashed into a glass window and landed hard against a concrete wall. Her spine trembled a bit and she gasped. Soldiering through the pain, she took a look at her surroundings. It seemed that she had landed in a restaurant. There were tables and booths. The chairs were on the tables, so she assumed that the place was closed. Thankfully. She heard Chat shout out to her. Raising, painfully slow, her back ached and cracked, causing a spike of pain run up and down her spine. She cried out and threw her hand over her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she sat herself up, wincing and stopping as the pain increased. She focused her gaze out the window and at the akuma. In just the short time, they already had Chat pinned into the concrete, which now had a huge indent along with horrid cracks and chunks everywhere.

 _Chat! I have to-_ She willed her body to move forward.

Ladybug flicked her wrist and her yo-yo rested in her hand. Taking steps forward, she threw the item. It wrapped around the villain's staff. The villain stopped and turned her way. She glared, but it was short-lived. Ladybug gave her partner enough time to push back. Ace lost her balance and Ladybug gave a strong tug. She flew towards Ace. Turning her body midair, Ladybug delivered a late kick to Crowned Ace. Quickly, she leaped away from the angered poker player. Bluebell eyes turned away from the fight to assess her partner.

"Are you alright Chat?"

The blonde cat gave her a smile and wink. "I am now that you're here."

She sighed in relief before giving him a fond smile. The moment was short lived as a furious shout brought them back to the fight. Crowned Ace had a deadly glare on her face that was framed by Hawkmoth's signature. She rose her hand. In it was a white and black cane. It looked like it was made up of poker chips. On top of it sat a fan of cards. Each represented the four suits. Ace threw out two cards at them. Instantly, they went on the defensive. However, the cards stayed suspended in the hair. Ace swung her cane down and called out.

"Royal Flush!"

The cards were engulfed in light. When it was gone, in their place were two giant cards. A Joker and King. The king had a large sword while the Joker didn't seem to have any type of weapon. The way they looked reminded her of the Alice and Wonderland movies. Large Cards with arms, legs, and a head.

"How unfair. 3 against 2?" Chat clicked his tongue as if he was scolding Ace.

The villain ignored him and commanded her soldiers. "Capture their miraculous by any means necessary!"

Instantly, the pair leaped at them. The Joker flew towards her while the King battled Chat. Ladybug felt like she had a bad draw.

"I already have one jokester to deal with, I don't need two!"

She wrapped her yo-yo string around the joker and pulled. She expected him to get crushed. But, to her surprise, he stayed strong. The joker jumped in the air and twisted in the air. Successfully winding her yo-yo (and by extension, her) up. She was twirled in the air before being let to fly. Thankfully, having been at this business for a while, she was able to catch herself. Hanging literally by a string, Ladybug pulled herself onto a nearby rooftop. She turned back to the floating card. Instead of a joker, it was a now a Queen of Spades. In her hand was a golden spear with a black spade at the top.

Ace flew up next to her and cackled. "The joker can be anything I want it to be. It's a wild card after all!"

Suddenly, she heard Chat cry out in pain again. _I need to end this!_

**_BEEP!_ **

She clicked her tongue in annoyance. How could she forget that she used up her power? Her eyes raked the scene as she spotted the lucky charm. It was next to Chat, who was struggling against the King. If she could reach it--or have Chat get it, then…

**_BEEP!_ **

 

_I'm running out of time!_

 

"Chat!" she gained his attention. "The lucky charm!" 

There was a sudden whooshing sound and the bug instinctively dodged out the way. In her place was the Queen's spear. Ladybug turned back to the villain and saw a wicked grin on her face. Her hand was extended out to her. She saw her eyes flicked downward and followed. She gasped as she saw she was standing on a blank card. _When!?_ She thought back to when the Joker threw her and then the Queen's spear. _It was set up!_

"I always wanted a lucky patterned card in my collection." Ace giggled before shouting out. "CALL!"

Panic bloomed in her eyes as she turned to her partner. Their eyes met. Ladybug grimaced and threw her hand out. _I won't be able to fight this one. It's up to you Chat!_ She threw her yo-yo as the Card snapped up and encased her. When it would flatten out again, the world would see a flat cartoon rendering of the Ladybug Heroine. However, what no one would know the answer to was the strange baby that was found on top of her shoulder. 

* * *

Fighting with Ladybug is always a pleasure, for Chat Noir. Every akuma attack gave him a rush. He felt some sort of guilty pleasure from his heroic job. This shouldn't be the case, but he couldn't help it. The thrill of chasing down the bad guy and with the love of his life, who wouldn't get excited? Speaking of his lady. His lovely, smart, beautiful Ladybug. She made him complete. He couldn't help but be drawn toward her. Like something was calling to him. Beckoning him to be by her side. To do anything for her. No matter what. He felt warmth near her. Like a bright fire that he sat by with his mother during the winter. Sure, she didn't take his love seriously, but he was sure to make her come around one of these days. That's what happened in the Animes after all!

He could go on thinking about her, but there was a card to fight. He grunted as he dodged a large swing of the King's sword.

"Don't you know we got rid of Kings years ago?!" he taunted. "And you're not gonna like the way we did it!"

The card gave him no response and continued its assault. The two went back and forth, but neither could scratch the other. The closest one to land a hit was the card. It swung it's mighty blade and nearly decapitated the cat. Instead, it took off a sliver of blonde hair. Chat--or Adrien--cried out as if he was in pain. He looked at his fallen hair as if he just lost a limb. He knew how much his father valued his appearance. If he found out that his hair got cut without his consent. A shiver ran down his spine as he was forced to not think about it.

"Chat!" he heard a siren sing. He looked and saw his Lady standing on a rooftop. "The lucky charm!"

He turned his head and saw that the charm was next to him. Quickly, he scurried away from the King's sword and snatched them up in his claws. Deciding not to leave without one last whip, he glanced over at the king and said,

"I grow tired of this poor game of cat and mouse. Till morrow, your majesty!" He leaped up onto a fire escape and used it to try to get to Ladybug. If he could get the charm to her, then she would make a plan and they would end this.

"CALL!"

He snapped his head up and his eyes connected with Ladybug's. Time slowed as he watched her throw her yo-yo out to him. A white card curled up and encased her. In a flash, she was gone. Fear flooded his features and he called out to her,

"Ladybug!" Chat felt his blood boil. He swiftly turned to the akuma and growled. "You'll pay for that!"

His slit pupils shrunk in anger as he propelled himself at Crowned Ace. His claws were at the ready. However, a Queen of Spades slid in his way and became shredded paper instead. The cat landed on an opposite roof before twisting around to face the poker queen. She seemed upset that he had ruined her card. She snapped her fingers and the King flew to her side before rushing at him. Chat leaped out and landing on the back of the king and used him as a platform. This time he came face-to-face with Ace.

They crashed into the ground. Unknown to him the yo-yo had rolled down with them. The duo engaged in what looked to be a sword fight despite the lack of swords.

Blocking a direct attack, Chat pushed her away and lunged at her, his baton hitting her staff with every swing. Small sparks flew as the strikes became faster and harder. She kept up surprisingly well, blocking every shot. After a moment, they became locked in a stalemate. He pushed on her staff, while she pushed on his baton. They were getting nowhere, until Crowned Ace grinned and cackled.

"It's over, Kitty cat!" her eyes flickered behind him. 

He looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened. How could he have forgotten about the King? Standing behind him with his weapon raised was the card. In this position, there was no way out. They cornered him.

_I…failed._

_I'm sorry Ladybug!  
_  

**BANG**

* * *

When Ladybug opened her eyes again, she saw a floating sprite hovering above her. She gasped and quickly sat up. A mistake she painfully discovered. Her spine cried out as her ribs trembled. She chose to lay back down. 

"What--?"

"We got trapped inside the Akuma's card," Tikki explained.

"Card?"

Suddenly the memories flooded her. Her eyes widened. "Chat! He's out there alone! I need to--" she tried to get up again, but her back creaked as she tried to move. She couldn't let the pain stop her. _I have to…go help him!_ Marinette tried picking herself up from the floor. She stood for a moment when her knees buckled under her making her fall back again.

"Don't push yourself, Marinette!"

"I have to! The akuma is still out there and Chat's facing it alone!"

"But you threw your yo-yo to him! I'm sure he'll know what to do!"

Marinette shook her head. There was still something she had to do. She couldn't just tap out and wait for him to fix everything. She wasn't even sure if he had any experience with a yo-yo! Hell, she didn't when they started.

_God Damnit!_

"Tikki, did you eat the cookies in my purse?"

"Yes and--Wait you're not thinking about--"

"Tikki! Transform me!"

The sprite was given little time to reason with her. Marinette felt the power wash over her and pushed herself up. The suit would only get her so far. She couldn’t overdo it. Ladybug turned her eyes up and saw a cutout silhouette above her. Was this the face of the card? She could see the sky above her and--

"Chat!"

She watched him jump at the Villain and together they went out of view. _I need to get back out there. I have to do something!_

Suddenly there was a click. "Save him with your dying will." a voice squeak out to her left.

Turning her head down towards the source, she found herself staring down the barrel of a green gun. Her mind didn't have time to connect where she had seen it before when her life flashed before her eyes.

 

**BANG**

 

Time seemed to stop. Her eyes were wide as she processed the moment. She had been shot. _She had been SHOT!_ The last thing she could think was the intense regret she felt burning through her system. It was like a fire was stirring underneath her skin. Like something had finally clicked on. Her blood was rushing, probably to the spot of the gunshot wound, the logic in her brain concluded. Her head fell onto the blank ground underneath her. Her eyes were locked on the sky above her. The only thing on her mind was her dear partner. Regretting leaving him out there. The regret grew stronger as she grew weaker.

_I'm dying._

_Why?_

_I regret…_

 

_I regret not being able to save him._

* * *

There was a loud shock that vibrated the air around them. Followed by a tearing of paper and a shout. The three turned towards the source and gasped.

Chat's eyes widened at the sight. Standing there was Ladybug. Her eyes were overshadowed by her bangs. In her hand was her yo-yo. The thing that made his head spin widely was the bright orange flame that rested on her forehead. It burned wildly. It was unnatural! _My lady…she's…SHE'S ON FIRE!_ Ladybug lifted her head and the look on her face made Chat wince. Never has he seen her face burn with that much intense anger. Her irises seemed to be shrunk down. They looked to have a fire in them as well. Her eyebrows were sharply pointed inward.

"I Will Defeat You And Save Chat Noir With My DYING WILL!!" Ladybug yelled out as the flame on her head intensified.

_Dying Will? What in the world?_

Crowned Ace just laughed, "Oh? Then what are you waiting for! Fight me!"

Ladybug flew like a bullet at the Akuma. She collided with her and together they rammed right into a building. Chat let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and leaped away from King. He wanted to watch the lady, but he needed to deal with this card first. The two engaged before coming to a stalemate. Hearing a cry of pain, Chat feared the worst. So, he swiftly knocked the card off its feet and ran a claw through it. The paper turned purple before shriving up and exploding.

Chat sighed and looked over at the other battle that was taking place. He watched as Ladybug wrestled with Crowned Ace. Usually, she would've used her yo-yo, since she was more of the long-range type of fighter in their duo, but Ladybug just threw punches and kicks at the akuma which were being blocked. Chat couldn't stop staring at the fire on her head. _Her head…is on fire!_ His mind screamed out, trying to process that it was real and not fake.

_Just how in the-_

"Ciaossu~!" a squeaky voice rang out causing him to nearly jump.

Chat looked over and saw the substitute teacher on his shoulder. _How did he get on me without me noticing?!_

"Hey! It's much too dangerous for civilian like you!" he went to grab the child but was caught off guard.

The kid jumped up and round-house kicked the back of his head into the ground. He fell face first into the cement. He, shakenly, lifted his head up, but he face meet the ground again when he felt the "teacher" land on his head.

"It seems I might have to train 2 Dames this time." the baby squeaked out.

 _What? Train? Dame? This…this…infant! Makes no sense!_ His mind screamed at him. He heard the loud booming sounds of the fight between Ladybug and Crowned Ace. He wanted to jump in, but Ladybug would kill him if she knew he left a child alone, in the middle of a battlefield. Luckily, His head was liberated when the kid jumped off. He looked up and saw the baby standing in front of him. Hands in his pocket and a lizard on his hat. _A lizard? Is that what that is?_ The mysterious child stared at him, unblinking before he smirked.

"I see, you'll be useful for the Famiglia."

_What? Famiglia? What does that mean?_

"It means Family in Italian."

_How did he-_

"You're just too easy to read."

Chat gaped at the boy, shocked, to say the least. Was he that easy to read? Or did this baby have mind-reading powers? If miraculous exists than what's stopping mind reading from existing?

"You truly are a Dame, Dame-Adrien."

Adrien never thought his throat would make such a strangled noise as it did. His eyes dilated in fear and disbelief before he tried to blink it away. "A-A-Adrien? Who is that!? I'm Chat Noir! Silly kid! Haha." he stuttered. Trying to sound like he hadn't just gotten his identity figured out by a toddler.

 _"Great kid, that was the stupidest response ever."_ he heard could practically hear Plagg say.

The kid's smirk widened before he turned away from him and looked at the battle between Crowned Ace and Ladybug. This battle can only be described as aggressive. _Very Agreste-ive_. Adrien received a swift kick after that thought. Moving on, Ladybug was fierce! She was on fire! Literally and metaphorically. The bug and akuma were locked in an intense showdown. Neither showed any signs of giving up. Crowned Ace held up her staff to block Ladybug's flying kick. The moment her foot connected, the staff broke in half. The now loose chips scattered. The momentum that Ladybug had stayed and she kept going forward. Kicking Crowned Ace's face in. The akuma fell on her back on the concrete floor, next to the lucky charm. Ladybug jumped onto the fallen akuma. She straddled and kept her down as Crowned Ace struggled. Grabbing her wrist with the bracelet, Ladybug picked up the scissors and snapped the woven bracelet in half.

"No!!" Crowned Ace cried out.

The black-purple hued butterfly fluttered out. Ladybug hopped off the defeated akuma, brought her yo-yo out, and aggressively caught the butterfly. Chat noticed when she released the bug, the odd color of the purified butterfly. Normally, when she purified an akuma, it turned an angel white, but now it was a stained a fiery orange.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

With that, she threw the scissors in the air and swarms of ladybugs flew around, changes things back to what they once were. Chat saw a swarm cover Ladybug as well before his vision was blocked by ladybugs.  There was only one thought he had on his mind.

_That was one fiery battle._

* * *

 

Marinette blinked her eyes. Looking around she saw, that she was standing in the street. She looked behind her and saw a platinum blond girl sitting on her knees looking just as confused as she was feeling. Ladybug noticed the red bracelet that was around the younger girl's wrist and noted that she was the akumatized victim, Crowned Ace.

_So the akuma was purified? But I don't remember purifying it. The last thing I remembered was being shot, feeling regret for not being able to save Chat- Chat!_

"Chat?!"

"Don't worry My lady! I'm right here." came a familiar flirty voice.

She looked to her left and saw Chat. Standing tall with his tail flicking back and forth behind him. He wore a proud smirk on his face.

"Chat!" she ran to him and hugged him. "Are you ok?"

Unknown to her, her sudden embrace made Chat's face turn beet red. He seemed to be shocked and awed. "Y-Y-Yeah, I'm f-fine. You're Lucky Charm fixed everything like usual. The real question is are _you_ ok?" he asked, worry flooding his features.

Now that she thought about it. She felt fine. The pain she felt in her back was magically gone. Thanks to the lucky charm. She nodded her head, "I'm ok."

"Are you sure, because I don't mean to alarm you but," he hesitated, "you were on fire."

_…What?_

"What? Is this another attempt?" she rose an eyebrow and smirked at him, "if so, then you went from bad to completely awful."

"Haha! You mean claw-ful?" he joked. 

"Utterly terrible."

"Seriously, you were on fire. Like literally on fire. There were flames on your forehead." he became serious.

 _On fire? But how? I made no contact with any fire. The only thing I made any contact with--with my forehead--was a bullet…WAIT I SHOULD BE DEAD!_ It was true. By all logic, she should be dead. A bullet to the head is not something someone survives from often. But how was she still alive and was able to end the battle with no memory of doing it at all?

 **BEEP BEEP**  

The sound of her earrings rang out. In reaction, her hand flew to her earrings and she clicked her tongue in annoyance. Ladybug gazed up at her partner and saw his expression. His ears had flattened and he looked sad. It made her heart hurt, but she had to remind herself that it was not the time to reveal themselves yet _. Once Hawkmoth is defeated…_

"That's my cue. Listen, I don't understand what you mean by fire, but I assure you I'm fine."

She brought her yo-yo from her waist and threw it in the distance. She waited for it to latch around something. The heroine looked back at her partner and gave him a smile. "I'll see you at patrol, okay?"

"Huh? Yeah. Be careful, My Lady."

Ladybug nodded and pulled on her string. The yo-yo pulled her away. She soared through the air. Her mind searching for the missing pieces of the battle. Yet she found not a single trace. She wished she could understand what her partner was talking about. For now, she decided to start with the first problem that appeared. 

Monsieur Reborn.


	3. Bloodlines

Conveniently, the limo was right in front of the alley she had de-transformed in. When she jumped in, she made sure to have questions prepared. Specifically, how he knew she was Ladybug. Staring at the man across from her, she crossed her arms and portrayed a no-nonsense type of atmosphere.

Getting answers from Reborn was no easy feat, Marinette realized this quickly. He didn't directly answer anything. She felt that he spoke to her in riddles or something of he sort It was frustrating to say the least. She briefly wondered, if this was how police officers felt when the suspect wouldn't answer anything they said. _Maybe he'll call a lawyer. Now wouldn't that be something?_

"Ok…I'll ask again…How did you know I was Ladybug?" she asked for what seemed to be the fifth time that night.

Reborn was silent for a moment and she was prepared to throw something. When he finally spoke up. "Vongola has access to things that would otherwise remain secret, Dame-Mari." the man smirked, petting his chameleon.

 _Finally a new answer!_ She was tired of him either ignoring her or just saying 'it was obvious'. This, however, worried her. Who else knew? Why hadn't they said anything yet? _Do they benefit from us being around?_

"Relax. You know as well as I do that Dame-Uncle of yours would never spread the secret around." he reassured her.

She was never going to get used to his ability to read her thoughts. Despite what he claimed, he could in fact read minds. There is just no way that someone could guess all the things she had been thinking with a single glance at her face. Unless….was she that open about her emotions? Suddenly, she felt a tiny weight on her shoulder and saw Tikki sitting there. The kwami's big eyes were sad somehow. Did something happen to cause her such grief? Is she getting sick? _Do Kwami's even get sick?_

"It's ok Marinette. Me and The Vongola go way back."

"You do?"

The kwami gave her a nod. "All they way back to the very first boss."

"Then is it really--?" 

She received a solemn nod. Suddenly, it felt as though her whole world crumbled around her. Her "Uncle" was a mafia boss. A whole half of her family she _thought_ she knew turned out to be one BIG lie. All those times she went to Italy. All those times he claimed to be stuck in meetings with other company heads. He was actually meeting with the largest underworld Dons? And now, because of unforeseen circumstances, Reborn--No Tsuna wanted _her_ to be the new Boss? This went against the very thing she stood for. She was a _hero!_ She stood up for justice. She saved her people, her city in ways the Law could not. She was a superhero! And now…they wanted her to be the head of a Mafia?!

"Then my answer is final. No, I'm not going to become a Mafia don!" she glared Reborn down. All the while her heart shattered. That perfect image of her family crumbled. She thought with despair how her mother would react. Did she know? _What if she does?_

"You sound just like Dame-Tsuna when he found out he was going to be Decimo." Reborn smirked fondly.

"Wait…so uncle Tsuna didn't want to be…Desie…Desimo?" _If he refused it, then why did he become it?_

"Decimo," Reborn corrected, "You need to learn Italian, first thing."

"No, what I need is to get back to school. Tell Uncle Sawada not to stop by." she spoke coldly as the car came to stop in front of her school. She popped the door open. "He won't be welcomed. Not by me."

A dark shadow was cased over Reborn's eyes. His smirk was long gone. "You can't run from what you're meant to become, Marinette."

She ignored him as she slipped out of the car. "Thanks for the ride."

* * *

 

Holding her stuff cat pillow to her chest, Marinette pondered on her bed about her day. When she had arrived back from her trip, Everyone who knew her wanted to ask questions. What connection did she have to Vongola? Was the common question directed at her. She choose not to reveal that she had family ties to the head. Instead, she lied and said that her bakery did them a favor. Some of them believed it. Other's (Chloé) didn't. But she didn't let that get to her.

She turned her head to her kwami. The red sprite was busy chowing down a plate of cookies. Feeling brave, she decided to question her.

"Tikki," she gained her attention. "How exactly do you know the Vongola?"

The kwami stopped and looked up at her. "I knew Primo, that means first, he was the Chat Noir to my Chosen."

"So he was a hero? Then why…why did he create a Mafia?" How could a hero create a criminal organization?  _How could he betray his sense of justice like that?_

"Vongola didn't start out like that. It was a vigilante group before it was a Mafia. Primo helped fight crime syndicates before he created the group. He realized that having only two people fight crime wouldn't be enough. So he created Vongola. I remember that he had asked Ladybug to join him but she couldn't. Her time in Italy was up and she had to return home. That was the first time I had interacted with the Family. It wasn't until Ottavo that I saw them again."

"Ottavo?"

"Her name was Daniela. She was the only female boss…well until you. She ended up giving up being Ladybug. I barely remember the reason. Something about paperwork and children. So I assumed that work as the Vongola Boss and being a mother got in the way of her being Ladybug." Tikki explained.

"Well, then I made the right decision. No matter what, Being Ladybug is way too important than becoming a Mafia don. Other than the fact that it's….I don’t know…a criminal position!" she huffed.

Tikki sighed and floated up. "What do you think of your Uncle now that all this has come to light?"

"A liar." she declared with little hesitation. "All my life, I known him to be nervous yet proud, easily spooked but "scary" when the situation called for it, and not judgmental. So…I wonder, was it all an act to keep me from knowing?" she curled her legs closer to her as her eyes became downcased.

"Would you have preferred it if you knew before?"

"I--" she hesitated. Would her feelings still be the same? Maybe if she had known then it could've been different. "I don't know."

"You need time to process. But, I don’t think shutting him out would be the best course of action. You should talk. Good Communication can prevent many things." the wise kwami told her.

"What's there to say? He's a Mafia boss." she grumbled and threw her pillow to the side.

The heroine climbed down the latter and stumbled over to her latch. She needed a glass of water before resting. _And to get away from this conversation._ She opened it and slowly walked down the stairs. However, she stopped when she heard a set of voices.

"I can't believe you were out here!" she heard her mother speak.

"It's great to see you Tsunayoshi." her father spoke. His tone making it clear that he was smiling.

"I should get Marinette! Oh! She'll be so thrilled to see you!" a scrapping of chairs was heard before it all stopped.

"No, I don’t think she would like to see me right now." she recognized that sad tone in her "Uncle's" voice. Her eyes averted as she carefully climbed back up to her room. She sat on the trapdoor's edge and listened in.

"Why not?" her father questioned.

"She's getting older and plus she's probably sleeping." Tsuna lied.

"Nonsense! That girl is up later than a bat." her mother declared.

"I wouldn't like to bother her. Besides, I won't be here long. I'll be flying back around midnight."

"That's too soon!" Her mother protested. "You should stay here for the night! You can afford to miss a fight." her mother casually reminded him.

"No, I have business to attend to that cannot be missed."

Marinette could feel her Kwami float up by her shoulder. She looked over at her and came face-to-face with her big eyes. Those wise, immortal windows told her to go down there and talk to him. Communication _is_ key. Besides, he still was her family even if she didn't approve of his career choice. With a sigh, she stood up and walked down the steps.

Instantly her mother saw her. "Marinette! Guess who’s here!"

She turned around to look at the kitchen. Sitting at her table was him. Her famous, criminal Uncle.  He wore a black, pin-stripped suit with a fiery orange dress shirt underneath it. He wore a black tie that had that familiar golden pin in it. A crest of Vongola. His lovely cape was draped on the back of their chair. His hair was as crazy as ever. And he looked tired.

When their eyes connected, she could see how upset and disappointed he felt. It wasn't directed towards her but aimed at himself. _Reborn told him what I said…_ She admits that she had been a little too cold. She just didn't take Liars very well. She schooled a smile on her face and walked over.

"Uncle Tsuna! When did you get here?" she already knew, but they had an audience.

"Earlier in the day. When you were at school. I was in a meeting so, I got here late." he confessed.

She watched him stand up and gather his cloak. Her mother and father seemed alarmed. Her short mother grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"Already? But we haven’t even had dinner yet. Please, won't you stay? Just for Dinner?"

"Yeah! It's been years. We missed you! Stay a little longer!" her father joined in.

Her parents looked her way. Expecting her to say something. Marinette hesitated. A criminal was in her house. A mafia boss was standing next to her parents. But…that man was her flesh and blood. There were so many memories that she created with him. To throw it all away because she found out what he _really_ did would be unfair to the connection she shared. So, with Tikki's advice ringing between her ears, she smiled and added her own bit.

"Stay! We haven't seen you in 4 years! I think you owe us an explanation Uncle!"

_In more ways than one._

* * *

Marinette and her family sat around the table chatting back and forth. Her father's awful puns were flown across the room more than once. No matter how cheesy they were, it still managed to bring a smile to the rest of them and a groan from her. Various topics were discussed. How was Vongola doing? How far has she gotten in achieving her dream? How was school? Things about her friends and etc. It was fun to catch up, but the heroine was more focused on getting her parents away so she could talk to her Uncle. 

The designer chuckled at a joke before deciding to make her move. "Hey, Uncle Tsuna hasn't seen my portfolio that I've been working on. Can I go show him?"

Her mother visibly brightened before nodding. "That would be wonderful! Oh, Tsuna. You must see how far she's come, really. From little sketches to fully flesh out works of pure art! You should've seen the hat she made for that Agreste Boy--"

"Maman!" she blushed.

Her mother placed a hand over her mouth and simply giggled. Marinette huffed and gave her a fond smile before slipping from her seat. With a chuckle, the mafia boss followed suit. Politely, Marinette directed him towards her room. Letting him walk in front of her, she went to follow when a hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked over and saw her mother with a strange expression.

"Dear…did you and Tsuna get into a disagreement or anything the last time you saw him?" she asked in a low voice.

Marinette felt tense. "N-no." she lied.

Her short mother only looked at her. She could tell that the woman knew she was lying. Yet she didn't call her out. Odd.

"Well," she suddenly spoke, "Even if something seems to be evil, just know that there are good in those places." she cryptically stated.

She rose an eyebrow in confusion at that before she was released. Her mother's smile returned and she waved her away.

"Don't keep your "Uncle" waiting." With that, the woman turned away and went back into the kitchen.

The teen stood there for a minute before turning away. Mothers were always so dang cryptic. Couldn't they just spell out their "lessons" like other people? She sighed and waltzed up to her room. When inside, Tsuna instantly looked over at her with a fond smile on his face.

"You still like the color Pink?"

She blushed lightly, "Of course. I don't understand how some people hate it. It's not a bad color at all."

He said nothing. Instead, he laughed in good nature. But it was short lived. They stood in a moment of silence for a while. Tension curled around in the air. Marinette, bravely, decided to be the first one to break it.

"Let's talk on the Balcony. Knowing my family, they would eavesdrop on us." he simply nodded.

Marinette directed him up to her balcony. Her mind spun with questions, arguments, comebacks. Anything to prepare for the conversation that was about to take place. She needed to know why he kept this huge secret from her, then dare to choose her as his successor (though deep down she knew why he had…there was no one else), and tell him that she wanted no part in the Mafia.

The two stood at the balcony railing. Watching the city she adored, glow and glimmer in the moonlight. She turned and looked at her Uncle. Her family. Even now, she still couldn't understand--or even imagine--how this gentle being was a criminal of a Mafia. She could see him being a CEO. That's what she knew all her life. But now…now she didn't know. It almost felt like she was staring at a stranger.

"Is it really true? You're a Mafia Boss?" she asked again as if the answer would magically change.

Deep down she wished that he would just deny it. Say that Reborn had pulled a trick on her. That Tikki was somehow in on the joke. She could deal with that. She could deal with him knowing she was Ladybug over…over this.

"Yes, although, in the beginning, I never wanted to be one."

"That's what Reborn said," she stated.

"Well, it's true. At first, I didn't want anything to do with the mafia. I was just a weak and scared child at the time. But things happened and I stepped up to the plate." His eyes harden as if he was remembering something.

"Things?"

The older male nodded, "Yes, things like…fighting Mukuro and his gang, then Xanxus, then there was this one time in the future and then after that-

"T-The future!?" she choked out.

"Yes, but those are another stories for another time. I became the Mafia Boss of Vongola to protect to ones I love and Innocents where the law cannot. Just like you with those akumas."

Marinette's eyes widen before she nodded, seeing the parallels. "I…I guess so. I mean…I didn't think I could be a superhero at first but…well, here I am!"

"Here you are indeed." Tsuna smiled before it was dropped. "I know you had told Reborn to inform me not to show up here. I'm sorry that I did. I was planning to leave before you noticed."

"It's fine. I should be the one to apologize. I shouldn't have said those mean things." she apologized. The guilt and shame from that comment had been slowing chipping away at her.

He shook his head. "I understand why you did. It's not easy finding out your family is part of a mafia."

"Head of a mafia." she corrected.

Humming in agreement, he turned and faced the city. "I kept it a secret to keep you all safe. I didn't want you to get endangered. Vongola may have many allies but we have just as many enemies."

"Then why choose me? To be this 11th or whatever?"

"I didn't. But with a lack of heir at my age…It's…unusual in the Mafia world. Usually, a child of mine would've started to be prepped and groomed to be the next head. However, because of an…unforeseen incident. I do not have one."

Marinette bit her lip, thinking. Finally, she spoke, "You…You could…always…remarry…again.." she braved the waters.

It was wrong. To say such a thing. She mentally kicked herself for it, but right now she was feeling selfish. She did not want to be a part of this at all. Being Ladybug is enough for her. Why couldn't he try to find someone who he can love and have a true heir with? It's harder than it sounds because she knew why. His old love. The one who used to come with him when he visited. The one who shone like the sun. She was gone and would never come back. Marinette knew she was gone and that her dearest Uncle could not just…move on that easily. Before, she was told it was that the nice woman had passed from illness. But now…Now she suspected it to be greater than sickness.

Tsuna was silent. She mentally freaked out. Afraid that she had opened old wounds. "I…I could…but I just…it…I'm sorry, Marinette." he choked out.

She panicked and was at his side immediately. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have--"

"No, it's quite alright. I just…" she saw him take a deep breath and look down at her. His eyes were shining with unshed tears. The guilt increased. "…it's a lot harder than you think. With all the work I have, I can’t simply "put myself out there". The women in the underground world would only want my wealth and power of Vongola behind them. Or one could be used as an assassin by an enemy." he explained yet she knew that hidden underneath those was the hard truth that…he just couldn't imagine someone else.

"I understand. However, I still don't get why I would be qualified?"

"I think I can answer that!" there was a squeak and they both turned to the sound.

Standing on the railing was the child from that morning. In his hand was an old scroll.

"It's you! But how did you get--"

"Reborn! What are you doing here?!" Tsuna demanded.

Wait…What?

"Is that like Reborn's son or…?" that was the only logical conclusion to come to after all.

"This one has good jokes, Dame-Tsuna." the kid squeaked.

Tsuna just shook his head. "This is indeed him."

"So wait," she felt her brain starting to compute. "this is Reborn? But that's not even physically possible!"

Tsuna just sighed while "Reborn" replied, "Anything is possible in the Mafia. But we're not going to speak about my size. We're here for why you’re the chosen heir."

Marinette was still stuck on his height to be even considering that. "Wait, if you're really Reborn…then you infiltrated my PE class!"

"You did what!?" the older male nearly screamed.

"I was checking to make sure she was the right candidate. And she passed."

"That was a test!?" she needed to sit down.

"Anyway, you both need to shut up before I shoot you sideways. Onto why she's even a choice!" he rolled the scroll out.

Next to her Tsuna hummed in confusion "Did it get longer than the last time I saw it?"

"What is this?"

"It's the Vongola Family Tree that goes all the way back to Primo." huh, Tikki told me about Primo. 

She scanned the tree. She could see a long line that led to Tsuna. So Primo was his ancestor? That was interesting. It answered why he became the boss. But not…her? She tilted her head as she glanced at the other side of the tree. Coming from the name above Tsuna's was a red line. Underneath it was the name "Mai". It seems Tsuna had an Aunt. Who married a Cheng that resulted in her mother and led directly down to her.

"Primo or Ieyasu is your Great, Great, Great, Great grandfather. In other words, since you inherited the Vongola blood that makes you a legitimate candidate to become the next boss."

"But that's like a small portion!" she argued.  
  
"It's the only portion we got." the child rolled the chart back up and took off his hat. She watched him place the scroll inside it before putting his hat back on.

She couldn't really deny that they had no choice. With no Heir and her having some of the bloodline, it was natural for them to check the family tree and apparently find her. The fact that she was young only solidified their decision. Children are malleable. Can be shaped and turned into what someone wants them to be or as close as they can get. So from a logical standpoint, this dilemma she had was expected. But, morally, Mafia's are no good and she wants no part of one. Even if it's run by a sweet family member.

"Well, that doesn't matter. I have other business like being Ladybug! I can't become a Mafia boss."

"Huh, you act like you have a choice in the matter," Reborn stated as a shiver ran up her spine.

"Reborn." Tsuna warned.

The "infant" turned his back to them and tilted his hat down. "She will be trained regardless. The younger they are, the better to start. We start in the morning!"

With that said, he jumped from the balcony. Shocked and slightly worried, Marinette raced to the edge. Only to find that the baby was gone. She sighed and grabbed her head. That man--could she say that?--was something else entirely.

"Once he gets going, there's no stopping him." Tsuna sighed. "I'm sorry that this happened, Marinette."

She straightened up and looked back at him with a tired smile. "It's okay." she lied. It wasn't okay. She was about to be dragged into the underground. And she's a superhero for crying out loud!

Tsuna frowned, "The least I can do is give you something to help you."

Marinette tilted her head in question. A gift? At this time? She watched him reach into his dress pant's pocket and pull out what looked like a ticktack box. Is he trying to tell me that my breath stinks? She would've felt embarrassed had it was full of ticktacks. Tsuna handed them to her, putting them in her hand, and wrapped her fingers around them. Confusion spread on her small face, trying to understand why he would give her these. Looking up to meet his gaze, she was stunned. Never before did she see such a serious expression on her Uncle's face.

"No matter what…I need you to promise me. Do not use these before you are ready."

"Why- What do you mean?"

"There will come a time, where you will need to use these. But for now, it's best you get used to the flames that come out of you when in Dying will mode first before you use these."

"Wait! Flames? Dying Will Mode?"

"Let me guess. Reborn didn't explain the flames to you?" She nodded and Tsuna sighed. "Alright, Sit tight. I'll tell you about them."

And so she did. She quietly listened as he explained the flames that apparently everyone has. There were 7. All had their very own color. Sky, orange; Rain, blue; Storm, red; Sun, yellow; Lightning, green; Mist, indigo; and finally Cloud, purple. He even went as far as showing her his sky flame. She was hesitant to touch it when he said she could, but when she did. She surprisingly didn't get burned. Instead, it just felt very warm. He also told her about Reborn's dying will bullets that brought out someone flame. She silently wondered if what chat was going on about her being on fire meant that he saw her produce such a flame.

He also explained that they each had different attributes. Cloud flames could propagate things. Meaning that it could multiply objects. Mist flames could construct or create. Lightning could harden or solidify. Sun had activation. It gave the user energy and could heal things. He said that was possible because it could activate cells and make them divide. Storm could deteriorate things. She was briefly reminded of Chat's ability when he mentioned that. Rain was tranquility and Sky was Harmony. Sky had the ability to pull other flames in and connect them. He described it as a drawing sensation like there was a force pulling someone to that flame.

"Just like you! When I first met you, there was something about you that just pulled me in!" she giggled and he laughed.

"I guess, although I'm only speaking from what my friends have told me." She nodded, understandingly.

"You're a bright person, Marinette. You may not know it, but you also have people who gravitate around you. No matter how mean or how nice, they'll be drawn to you." he suddenly said. "That's part of the reason why I'm giving you these, to help you protect those you love. With or without the suit."

"What's the other reason then?"

Tsuna gave off an saddened expression before continuing, "To protect yourself as well."

"But I can-"

"I know you can protect yourself, with that suit. But the mafia is the only ones who know about the flames. Should anyone find out that you have any connection to me or Vongola, they _will_ try to hurt you and the people close to you. And no amount of convincing that you don't want to be an heir or have any connection will change their minds."

He kneeled down and placed a firm grip on her shoulders. Marinette stared into his honey brown eyes that were laced with worry and sadness. He did not want this for her. He'd rather have her live her life normally, but fate always had other plans.

"That's why I'm telling you now…Do not…Under any circumstance…Tell anyone about the Vongola and your connection to it. No one. Only those whom you trust with your life. Got it?"

She just nodded her head once again. Scared. Scared for her life, family, and friends. Just as she did with her Ladybug identity, she vowed to herself. I will not tell anyone, it's too dangerous. If I'm lucky, no one will know and maybe they'll find a more suitable boss.

Sighing in relief, Tsuna smiled before hugging Marinette, "Remember that no matter what, no one can make you become the new boss. There's still time to find a new one. I'm not that old yet." he chuckled lightheartedly.

She joined in with the laughter and found that she felt considerably lightened. Despite the fact that she had felt like the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally two chapters. I decided to combine them for the sake of length.


	4. Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Key:  
> "Bold" - Italian  
> "Normal" - French

Marinette was not happy. At all! It was a complete miracle that she even survived or more accurately was surviving!

Reborn had begun 'training' Marinette the next morning. He made her wake up before the everything on the planet did. In the most bizarre way! An unholy combination of electrocution, mallets, and grenades! Then he forced(read as: shot at) her to run to the school, around it, back home, then back to the school again! He stated that she would have to do this every morning! Every morning!? Who did he think she was?

When that was over, it was time for breakfast. Her dear mother had made a stunning breakfast for her. The woman most-likely was proud and surprised that she was up early. She was enjoying a batch of fresh crepes when the little thief came out of nowhere and snatched up her plate. Her breakfast! Gone! That baby was faster than light!

_Kill me now._

Currently, she was moping in her chair and not trying to fall asleep. She had to stay awake. It was an important lecture. The next hour was lunch after all. She could wait. She tried to tell herself. Marinette yawned and looked over at Alya. Her best friend would tell her what the teacher talked about right? It was okay to rest her head down. Just for a second. The heroine folded her arms and laid her head down. Just a second. It would only be a second. The last thing she heard was Alya scoffing with exasperation.

When she woke up, she found herself alone in the classroom. Panic filled her as she searched for the clock. Her eyes nearly bulged out when she saw the time. It was 10 minutes until Lunch would be over! She slept through all that!? As quickly as she could, she gathered her stuff and was about to leave the room when a strange noise entered her ears. It seemed to have been coming from the blackboard. Her eyes turned to it and watched it in suspicion. Suddenly, a perfect line ran down the center and the board parted. It revealed a room with a fireplace, a brown leather chair, and a table with a cup of coffee on it. And sitting in that chair was none other than Reborn.

"When did you get here!? And what did you do to the board!?"

"I have secret spots like this all over the school."  _When did he get the time to do that!?_ "Since you fell asleep for the teacher's lecture, I thought it would be kind of me to reteach it to you." there was a sparkle in his black eyes that made her dread the next hours to come.

Reborn spent those 10 minutes cramming everything the teacher taught in her. It was exhausting and explosive. Her only saving grace was the bell. Marinette never ran out of class so fast. One would've thought that an Akuma was on her tail. Even though, she fled, she sadly still heard him say that they were going to go over the lesson again when she got home.  _I guess I'm starting patrol early today!_

The next torment came in chemistry. The teacher had handed back the tests from last Friday. Marinette had received a high C. It wasn't bad but it was better than an F or D. That meant she still passed! Even so, she couldn't stop the sudden dread that fell over her. She had no idea what it meant until the school day was over. She got home, tired from Reborn's nonsense, and found a rope, grenades, and a mischievous Reborn standing in her room. Needless to say, the devil tied her up, laced her with grenades and every question she didn't answer right…let's just say, no amount of hair products will get the singe marks out the ends of her hair. Thank god for Ladybug's magic or else she swore she would've died. It wasn't like she could go to Tsuna for help. After last night, he had to fly back home. He really did have business to attend to back in Italy and could only afford a day out here. That meant that she was alone. Stuck with Reborn.

They went over the lecture, finished her homework, and he made her miss patrol so she could get to bed. When he told her that he wanted her to get to bed on time so that she wouldn't be tired all morning, she felt a warmness in her heart. That may be, he did care. Until he nearly knocked her out again and reminded her that she had to "exercise" again tomorrow morning. And like a bad song on replay, they went through it all over again. She wanted to cry and it was only day 2!

As of now, the exhausted heroine was sitting alone on her patrol. Chat called and said he had a family engagement to attend to. So the hero was gloomily thinking about her situation on top of the famous Notre-Dame. As far as she was concerned, Reborn hadn't followed her out there. If he had, it wouldn't surprise her. Especially with that thing he had. She knew it was a Chameleon, but the way it shape-shifted made her confused. According to Tikki, it wasn't a Kwami. Reborn just told her that Leon was Leon and that was all there was to it. So, as usual, he made no sense (she also didn't know how he could easily become a baby either).

Ladybug continued to think these strange things over until her head started to pound. Again that same headache, that came on when she was in class, came back. It happened more often now. Before every Akuma attack was where it frequently appeared. A part of her thought that maybe it was the famed "woman's Intuition" that she heard about growing up. Another part of her thought it was some sort of Ladybug senses that she gained in the suit. Whatever it was, it always spelled out trouble. The bug looked down as she placed a fingertip on her temple. She massaged in small circles as her eyes caught onto something. It was two men in black standing in front of the gates of Notre-Dame. They seemed to be scanning their surroundings before entering.

"It's way past visiting hours." she hummed before flicking her yo-yo out.

She hooked the end around a column and swung herself down a level to a colorful window. _Now, will I need to call on a lucky charm or…is god on my side tonight?_  She reached out and tried to open the door. Thanking her lucky stars that it was open ( _the clergymen really need to check all windows and doors before closing_ ), she pushed through and landed on the cathedral's upper floor*. The heroine crept towards the stone railings and peeked over. The two lone men were standing in the middle platform. Where the colorful moonlight hit them. One had a shining metal suitcase while the other had a black one.  _Could this be…an exchange?_  She saw this kind of thing in movies and TV shows. It never occurred to her that it happened in real life. _I have to stop this_. She tightened her grip on her weapon before hesitating.

"Let's wait and see exactly what they're planning.." she quietly hummed.

"Do you have them?" the man with the black suitcase asked.

From where she could see, he had solid black sunglasses that blocked his eyes from her. As well as a uniquely thick, brown beard. He was beefy and tall. He reminded her of Adrien's bodyguard with his size. Upon his head was a black fedora. He wore a black suit with silver lines running down them. Pinstripe. His sleeves were rolled up and pulled back to his elbows. His arms showed sleeves of colorful tattoos.

"I do." the other male spoke. His voice was raspy and heavy with an accent. He held up his silver suitcase that nearly blinded her in the light. This man was thinner than the other. He could easily have been taken down by the buff man. His hair was long enough to be tied back. He also wore a suit, but it wasn't black as she had assumed. It was gray. He had peach fuzz sprinkled across his face along with a confident grin.

The only similar thing between the two was their apparent love for rings. Almost on each finger was a sparkling ring. Each with varying colors.

"Show me." the buff man stepped forward.

"Show me the cash first." the other retaliated.

Monsieur Hulk-as she decided to dub him-and the foreigner looked at each other for a solid minute before Hulk sagged his shoulders in defeat. He pulled his case up and cracked it open. Revealing rows and rows of colorful euros.  _That enough to pay for my college tuition and to start up a fashion line_ , she exaggerated. The thin man reached out to it. If she could see his eyes, she would she sure that they were filled with endless greed. Predictably, Hulk shut the case closed.

"Now show me the boxes."

Ponytail-she decided to call him-huffed and pulled up his box. He turned it over and she had to hold back a gasp. The insignia on it was that same as the one on the limo. Vongola.  _Could this be…the reason Tsuna came out here?_  Her mind spiraled off into different possibilities. Maybe he made a deal with a local mafia and this was the result? Maybe this was an enemy faction that they are warring against? And this was their attempt to bring about a truce. Whatever it was, it didn't make her waver in her decision to stop it.

Ponytail opened the case and revealed colorful boxes. _Huh?_ Along with blue paper. "Prototypes for the new Vongola boxes. I threw in a blueprint for a Gola Mosca for extra measure."

"My boss will be pleased to hear this. You've definitely proven your loyalty, Alexandre." The two men exchanged cases.

Alexandre opened his money case and stared down at it. "What can I say? I hate Vongola just as much as he does." He snapped it closed, the sound echoed through the cathedral. "So much so, that I recently acquired some special information that your employer may like."

"Oh?"

"I'll tell…for another case of cash."

Hulk clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Does it look like I have another case on me?"

"No, but I'm sure you can gather it up in due time." Alexandre turned away and held the suitcase over his shoulder. He walked off the platform, his heels clicking in his wake.

"Or," there was a loud click, "You could just spill and avoid ruining the floor with your blood. I'm sure the priests here wouldn't be so happy to find a dead body around their sacred church." Hulk aimed a long silver gun at Alexandre. It was sparkling in the moonlight. The window's colors were sprayed onto it. Although, she could've sworn that the tip was sparkling red.

"Oh no. Not on my watch." she stood up and flicker wrist. Her yo-yo was sent spiraling at the weapon. It wrapped around it and she pulled it out of his hands in one swift motion. With their attention now on her, she broke out a cocky grin. "It's a little too late for confession time, boys!"

"Ladybug!?" Alexandre gasped.

The hulking man growled and glared at Alexandre. "You set me up!"

"What!? No! I-"

Ladybug came down in an arc at the brute. She sent him a powerful kick in the jaw before backflipping to land. Her sharp bluebell eyes snapped towards the other man. Who decided that it was in his best interest to run. With another flick of her wrist, Alexandre found himself tied up. However, the hulk was already recovering from the blow. So, with a powerful tug and turn. She swung the traitor into the brute. Benches were turned over in her wake. _Time to get these fools down to the station._ The heroine strode over towards them. Spotting the silver case, she picked it up in one motion and continued on her way.

"Alright, I think it's time to-" before she could finish, another gun was entered into the mix. Alexandre pulled out a small pistol from his sleeve. It was short and golden. With three barrels to stare down. He aimed it at her and she swore there was fire spewing from each barrel. _Red, Green, Purple…_

"Sayonara, Ladybug." she saw him grin before a loud bang echoed in the cathedral.

Instead of the beloved hero falling down, the traitor collapsed. Ladybug had felt air rush past her face right before the man fell. _Is he!?_ She quickly got to his side and tilted his head. Upon his forehead was a small round disk. On it was blue glowing light.  _What in the world?_  There was a groan and she saw the hulk get up and hold his head in pain.

"What in the-" he was silenced by another bang. A tiny disk landed on his neck before he went down.

Ladybug stood up and looked towards the direction where the shots came from. She saw a shine of a lens before it was pulled back. Revealing a woman with long blonde hair. She wore a visor over her eyes but Ladybug could tell that she was glaring at her. The mystery lady slid her rifle onto her back and seemed to be looking for something at her sides.

"Who are you?" she wondered out loud.

The woman stopped and looked down at her. In her hands was a grappling hook. She didn't answer the hero's question. Instead, she aimed her weapon at her and fired. Ladybug quickly grabbed the metal suitcase and used it to shield herself. The hook punctured the case on impact and was ripped from Ladybug's grip.

"Hey!"

It flew into the woman's hands. Ladybug watched as she placed her hand over her ear and spoke. " **This is Pavoni. The spy has been apprehended and the package is secured…** " she spoke fluently into her hidden communicator.  _How dare she ignore me and talk on the phone?!_  Ladybug grumbled and shouted at her again. " **Copy that. Pavoni, over and out**."

"Hey!" she yelled out again.

The woman snapped her head towards her. "I recommend taking those men to the proper authorities, Madame Ladybug." Her French was just as natural as the other language she spoke. _Was it Spanish? Or Italian?_  It made it obvious that she was native like her.

"I-I will, but that suitcase-"

"Is it better hands," the stranger finished with a smile. "We thank you for your…unneeded help." her smile turned sour for a moment. The words processed in her mind and Ladybug found herself confused.

"We?" The woman smirked and nodded. She turned away and melted into the darkness. "Wait!" Ladybug called and swung herself up to the balcony. When she landed, the woman was nowhere to be seen.

_Damn._

* * *

Rodger never liked working late shifts. Even before his promotion, it was the worst part of his job. Now, lessened a bit, but that never stopped the hatred for it. Especially for this day of all days. Late shifts were always boring and tiring. Nothing interesting ever happened down at the station at that time. So, when he heard a knock on the glass doors, he was surprised. The officer got up from his new comfortable seat and waltz over to the entrance where he got another shock.

Tied up, were two unconscious men. Attached to the smaller one's head was a sticky note. It read: "Caught Breaking and Entering Notre-Dame. Happy Birthday! -LB". 

"At least she remembered my birthday."

* * *

Marinette's next morning was the same as the others. Although, something seemed different. The baby didn't take her food at all. It was suspicious. Sadly, that was the only change. The "exercise" (read as: torture) was still grueling and draining. She couldn't stop thinking about the events of last night. She was curious about the mystery woman and what those strange boxes were. Although, it seemed like it was a Mafia matter. _And if I want to be a normal high school student, then I shouldn't think about that._  Is what she tried to tell herself over and over again. The thoughts never truly faded.

The man, Alexandre, had information on the Vongola and, if she had read the scene correctly, was betraying them. All for money. How greedy. She guessed that's what happens in the mafia.  _Though, it bugs me…what information did he claim to have?_  She was reminded of the warning her Uncle gave her. Could it have been that she was already found out? She hoped not. _Maybe I should-_ She shook her head. It was better to leave these kinds of things alone. She was strictly not going to get involved. There was already a lot on her plate. Being Ladybug and living her life was already challenging. Now she needed to find a way to pass on this heir title so someone fitting. Someone aggressive, someone who would do anything it takes, someone who won't sully her Uncle's name. And someone who has some Vongola blood in their veins. She sighed, she saw the tree. If there was someone else, they would've chosen them instead.

_Maybe I should auction it? Nah, Reborn would murder me._

As of now, the normal student was trying her hardest to pay attention. So far it was working. At least, that's what the lack of seeing Reborn told her. She was trying to not repeat what happened last time. Her whole lunch was wasted. It sucked. So, this time, to avoid the baby/man's tutoring, she was trying to absorb as much information as possible. However, this sudden attitude shift caught some people off guard. Specifically a LadyBlogger.

"Are you sick?" the reporter suddenly asked.

"What?" the heroine stopped and looked over at her friend.

"Just the other day you were asleep. And now you're taking notes. Usually, you sleep in this class."

"Oh! Well…" she laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head, "I've been busy at home. Ya know designing and stuff. I wanted to get my work done here so I'd have time to work on my portfolio."

Alya gasped and stared at her as if she grew two heads. "In my life, I never thought I'd see this day." she sniffled and faked tears. "How they grow up so fast."

"Hey, don't act all surprised." she giggled.

"Oh, that reminds me. I got some news that a new student was transferring here!"

"That's cool! Where are they from?"

"Brazil." Alya purposely rolled the r and wiggled her eyes. The blogger slapped her hands over her cheeks and sighed. "I heard he was quite the looker. If only-"

"If only you weren't madly in love with a certain," Marinette coughed and lowered her voice. "…aspiring director?"

"Marinette!" Alya quietly whined.

"Just stating the obvious~!" she giggled.

The blogger huffed and looked away with a pout. Marinette couldn't help but laugh at her expense. _Oh, How the tables have turned_. As they say. Once the class was over. Everyone headed towards the courtyard to sit and eat. All the voices mixed and make the area louder than it had been. Everyone seemed to be minding their own business. Marinette sat with Alya, who was busy scouting the area for the hot Brazilian. She was about to give up her search when a loud shriek silenced the courtyard. Everyone stopped and stared at the owner, Chloé. Most rolled their eyes and went back to eating while others stared.

Her new shirt was drenched in a brown liquid. Coffee, Marinette realized. In front of her was a kid she had never seen before. She concluded that it must've been the new kid. He stood tall. With dark skin and a mop of brown hair on his head. His eyes were a chocolate brown. He sported a short-sleeved athletic red and gray T-shirt that revealed his muscle, toned arms. Along with black shorts that showed off his long legs. He wore red converse with long white socks. He looked ready to play. Marinette didn't deny that he looked attractive. But her heart was still clinging to the thought of Adrien. In his hand was an empty paper coffee cup. Brown droplets were dripping out of the top. His eyes were wide and apologetic.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you!...uhh..here! I can-" he tried to apologize, his voice laced with a strong accent, but Chloé just screamed her head off at him.

"You…You! Stupid little foreigner! Do you know how much this cost!? I'll have you know, my father is the mayor and once he hears of this you can say buh-bye to Paris! I'll make sure you find a one-way ticket back to Portugal!"

"Brazil." he corrected.

"Same difference!" the blonde growled.

Marinette decided to step in. She wasn't going to let Chloé bully the new kid too. "Chloé, he said he's sorry, you should just drop it!"

"Drop it!? He ruined my new shirt! A peasant like you could never understand! I mean look at you, you can't even design a good outfit."

"Excuse me? Weren't you the one who tried to steal my idea for that bowler hat?" Marinette smirked, challenging her to try and deny the truth. People were staring now and Chloé, always one for appearances, just huffed and stalked off. Sabrina trailed behind her. Once they were gone, Marinette turned to the Brazilian and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, she's like that with everyone. All her threats are empty, so don't take it personally."

The boy stood there and suddenly his cheeks showed tiny specks of red. She hoped he hadn't caught a cold or something. "I-It's no problem at all! I..uh..t-thank you for sticking up for me. You're so kind."

At that, Marinette blushed and shook her head, "It's ok, I would've done it for anyone." She smiled and the boy nearly fainted, not that anyone noticed. Except for maybe Alya and Nino. 

* * *

Nino nudged Adrien, who had been watching the whole interaction, and smirked at him, "Better look out, it seems there's some competition."

"What are you talking about?" Adrien seemed genuinely confused.

"Oh, nothing~!" Nino sang.

"Nino?" Nino just laughed and waved a hand. Alya and Nino shared a look before grinning to themselves. Suddenly the bell rang, signaling the next period. Marinette ran to Alya's side and they left to get to class. The new kid just stood there in a daze.

Nino, deciding to be friendly, shouted out to him. "Hey!"

The foreigner blinked out of his daze and turned to the person who called out to him. "Hello?"

"Hey man! I'm Nino," he gestured to himself before pointing to his friend, "and this is Adrien, sorry your first experience here was Chloé blowing her top again." Nino introduced them.

The kid shook his head with a chuckle. He waved his hand as if he was shooing away Nino's comment. "It's fine, I've seen girls way worst."

Nino rose an eyebrow at the information. He couldn't imagine someone worst than Chloé. "Who can be worst than Chloé?"

"Someone from Brazil I know. And let me tell you, it's quite the story!" the newbie laughed.

The three chuckled together before Adrien decided to speak. "Hey, what's your name?" Adrien asked. Nino could see the hope sparkling in his eyes. He gave a fond smile before shaking his head.

"It's Marcos Avila." the kid, Marcos, introduced himself.

Adrien stuck his hand out, "It's nice to meet you, Marcos."

Marcos returned the gesture and the two shook hands. "Likewise." the gesture was repeated for Nino. The trio strolled along. Chatting happily while Marcos told them tales of Brazil. They arrived at the two best friend's class and stopped. There was still some time. Nino noticed Marcos' eyes trail to the window behind him. He turned slightly and spotted Marinette in a lively conversation with Alya. He quietly scoffed.  _Adrien, get it together. Or else Mari is going to get swept away._  Though, a part of him doubts that. As determined as Marinette was, he doubts she'd give up on Adrien that easily.

"Oh, hey can I ask you two something?"

"Yeah sure," they responded in sync.

"That girl with the pigtails. She's the one who helped me right?" he pointed at the window. The duo turned before looking back at him

"Yep! That's Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" Nino answered proudly.

"Why do you ask?" Adrien questioned.

"Well I-uh didn't get her name when we talked." a faint blush dusted the newbie's cheeks.

"Oh I see, she's a very nice girl. Like an angel! She's also cute!" He elbowed Adrien lightly, "Right Adrien?"

"Haha, well I guess?" the model, scratched the back of his neck, unsure.

Nino narrowed his eyes at the model before sagging his shoulders, "Mmm, I see." Nino sighed, disappointed.

"What?"

* * *

Marinette skipped down the school steps. Her day had gone splendidly. No reborn at all in class! It was fantastic! She was so giddy that she didn't notice the backpack on the stairs. She saw a mop of blonde hair and emerald eyes before taking a tumble. She found herself in someone's arms and her face in someone's chest. Unknowingly, she gripped their shirt. Its fabric was smooth. She opened her eyes and saw herself staring at a red and gray T-shirt. Her eyes traveled up and she saw the new kid. Next to him was Adrien and Nino. No one seemed to notice the blush on the newbie's face. Although...

_Why is Nino smirking?_

"I..uh..I'm so sorry!" she quickly pulled back, embarrassed to have fallen in front of Adrien.

"I-It's ok! Are you hurt?" the new kid- _what's his name again?_ -asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." she smiled reassuringly.

"Are you sure Marinette?" Adrien asked, tilting his head a little.  _Don't look at me like that! He's so…so dreamy~!_  She felt her heart skip a beat before beating faster. Every time she was around Adrien, she got so tongue-tied. It wasn't her fault! He was just too much! So kind and good looking.

"YES! I..uh…erm…welll..I..a-…I'mok!" she stuttered horribly.

Adrien chuckled before hearing a loud honk, "Well…that's my ride, I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

"Yeah see ya man!" Nino called after him. "And I'll see you two later! I gotta go find Alya!" Nino literally ran faster than lightening back in the building. Now she was here. Alone with the new student.

"So what's your name?" she asked after Adrien's ride passed.

"It's…uh..M-Marcos! Marcos Avila!"

"Oh! It's nice to meet you, Marcos. I'm Marinette. Sorry again for Chloé."

"It's ok, M-Marinette." the boy turned his gaze downward and lightly kicked the concrete, "Hey…um can I ask you something?"

She tilted her head at his odd behavior, "Sure."

"Well…I have a…football* game coming up next week and…would you like to come and watch me play?" he sounded oddly nervous.

"Uh…sure!" She smiled, glad to have a chance to make a new friend.

His eyes widened and he seemed genuinely shocked that she agreed. "What!? You will?! That's so great! I…uh I'll be waiting for you!" It was like a bunch of fireworks went off. He was vibrant and bright. So full of life. Seeing that happiness that she was able to grant him solidified her decision.

"Yeah, I'll cheer you on at the game!"

"Really!? Well if that's the case, then…I'm number 14 so uh look for me? I guess."

"Yeah." she tilted her head and leaned closer to him, trying to examine his face. It looked as though he suddenly came down with something. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine…I just gotta…uh…SEEYALATER!" He ran like there was an Akuma on his tail.

_Weird…he must be shy…oh-_

"Ciaossu!" She felt a weight on her head and instantly knew who it was. A groan escaped her lips as she spent the rest of her time being pulled around by the toddler-not-toddler. There goes that good day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Notre-Dame: I mean like the second floor of the cathedral. Like is it balcony or…what is it?
> 
> *Football: Fellow Americans…Football in this context means SOCCER. It just makes sense to call it Football since…this takes place in Paris, France. In the middle of Europe. So yeah.
> 
> Ciao-su~


	5. Shooting Star

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette cheers on her new acquaintance's football game. Things turn a little sour and Reborn finds a way to poke his nose into another mess.

Marcos was a good guy, Marinette decided. Yes, he was oddly shy but sweet. Like Nathaniel…a little. She started to notice that he was actively seeking her out. After class, during lunch, after school. One time, he even casually walked by the bakery, before stopping, backtracking, standing there, making eye contact, and running away like hell. It's odd, but he was still a good guy. He had only been there for a week and he already destroyed the football unit in gym. He made a reputation as the new Star Football Player. Too bad he was already on another team. That didn't deter the coaches from trying to get him on their football team.

The day had finally arrived of his special game that he invited her to. Her best friend, Alya, came along with her. Nino and Adrien were there too. It seemed that Nino, Marcos, and Adrien had become friends. Of course, it had been Nino to initiate the interaction. Adrien, sweet Adrien, was a little shy in making a new friend and all. At least that's what her experience underneath the Umbrella hinted towards.

Marinette sat on the small sideline bleachers with Alya. Nino made a move to sit next to Marinette but received a glare from Alya. Gulping, he quickly sat down next to the journalist. Adrien, seeing his friend choose to sit next to the girl who he could tell that he liked, decided to sit next to Marinette.  _Oh god! He's sitting next to me! Oh no! I might end up fainting, but if I do…_ there was a sudden shiver. Her eyes wandered down to the field and she saw a peculiar baby there. Reborn. He was dressed up as the coach and no one seemed to noticed or care.

"R-Reborn!" she squeaked semi-quietly.

Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. He was smirking her way!  _Oh great!_  She was sure he was probably planning something. Forgetting who she was sitting next to, she looked around, looking a little crazed. Looking for grenades, traps, bears, anything. The last few weeks had been terrorizing for her. The kid kept trying to shoot her with some sort of special bullet, but the girl did not want to allow it. Dying was not on her agenda. That didn't stop the baby.

"Marinette?"

A soothing, sweet voice snapped her out of her panicked state, Marinette turned and saw Adrien staring at her, worry and confusion edged on his face. Her cheeks exploded in various shades of red before settling on the darkest shade.

"Y-Yes?" she stuttered.

"Are you alright?"

"I-uh…you're fine! I mean…you're great! No! I'm fine! Just great! Heh…heh."  _That…was…pathetic! I bet he thinks I'm super strange now! Oh, great Marinette. Just great!_

He smiled that classic charming smile, "Ok then."

Deciding to pay attention to the game, she turned her attention to the running players. While looking for her friend, she noticed a photographer across the way. Must be the newspaper. The photographer was a woman with long raven hair and a very expensive looking camera. The woman noticed her stare and aimed her camera at the seats. Marinette felt her temple pulse. Her hand went to the spot and massaged it. The woman smiled before turning away. The designer shrugged the ache as the crowd cheered around her. Turning away, she focused on the tall figure with an orange 14 printed on his shirt.

* * *

"Yeah!" The crowd cried out once again, getting riled up at another easily made goal. At the sound of their cheers, Marcos smiled and nearly tripped when he heard familiar female yell out his name and cheer.

It was the nearing the end of the game. The two teams were tied. This was the shot that would decide the winner. Marcos pushed harder, running like a blazing wildfire. His eyes sharpened, ready to take the shot. The cheering still loud in his ears. A familiar Asian girl with a bright smile flashed through his mind before he swung his leg forward and the ball flew into the net.

"YEAHHH!" the whole sidelines exploded.

Beads of sweat dripped off his face and rolled down his neck. He panted, a smile on his face. His head whipped around to face the bleachers where  _she_  sat. She was smiling like the sun and hopping up and down with Alya. A pleasant sigh escaped his mouth before he jogged over to the bleachers.

Her dark hair waved around her as the sweetheart rushed down the stairs and smiled at the Star Player, "Great Job out there, Marcos!"

"T-Thank you!" he breathed out, blaming his lack of breath on the game and not the beauty in front of him.

"Yeah, Dude you rocked the field!" Nino chimed in.

"You were amazing!" Adrien complimented.

He shook his head and smiled bashfully, "Thanks, guys." Marcos' gaze fell back on the short girl in front of him and he swallowed.  _This is it!_  He pondered on this for at least the whole last week and weekend. A part of him feared the rejection, but the other part was so full of adrenaline that the doubt was pushed far back. Gathering his courage, he spoke once more, "Hey, Marinette. Can…Can I talk to you…alone?" So what if he was too shy to ask the burning question in front of his friends?

"Um…OK?" she tilted her head… _cute_. Together they walked off the grass and away from the field. Finally, they stopped and were out of earshot of their friends. Marcos stood in front of Marinette, a violent blush on his cheeks. "You wanted to talk to me?" She gave him a sweet smile.

"Yes! I mean…yeah…Well…the thing is that…ever since you stood up for me and showed me kindness, I've…ah-em…well…I…I l-like you! So..uh-em…do you want to hang out sometime?...I'm sorry. I've never done this before." he stuttered out.

Marinette stopped, her eyes wide. A blush crept on her cheek. Seeing the blush, his mind ran wild with different emotions. On one hand, he was panicking, what if she didn't return his feelings? On the other hand, what if she  _did_?!

Her eyes got apologetic and he felt his heart plummet, "I…I'm sorry, I don't return your feelings. I-…I already..um..sorry Marcos."

"O-Oh." he kicked himself for sounding disappointed because it made her look sorrier.

Her eyes seemed panicky as she scurried for her next lines. "But, you're still my friend! I mean this doesn't ruin our friendship, right?"

"Y-yeah…I mean, no it doesn't ruin anything." And it didn't, even if his hopes for her heart were crushed, he could try to settle with being just friends.

"O-Ok." There was an awkward silence before she spoke up again, "I'll see you later?"

"Yah." he quietly responded.

He watched a little bitterly as she walked away back to the others. That's when he saw _IT_. The look she gave  _him_. He could spot it so easily because it was the same one he's been giving her. He gritted his teeth. Adrien Agreste. He was great guy and friend, he knew that. But he couldn't help the jealousy that burned in his chest. _I would love to have her look at me that way. He doesn't know how Lucky he is._  He knew it was wrong to think so negatively about his new friend, so he pushed it down. He saw Adrien smile at Marinette, making her go into a bubbly stuttering mess. His heart broke at the sight.

He thought back to the rejection and sighed as his chest stung.  _Why couldn't it be me?_  That thought rang in his head like a chant. If only there was a way for him to prove himself to her. To change her mind. But, how could he do that? She was obviously in love with someone else. While he only had a pesky crush on her.

_I just…want to repay her. I want to be by her side._

"Oi, I heard the Agreste child was bad at football." a squeaky voice pierced through the air.

Marcos looked up and turned around. Standing behind him was a small child. The kid wore an obviously expensive suit and a fedora to match. He had a tiny chameleon in his hands. "What?" the football player questioned.

"You want to prove yourself? Tomorrow is a free day in the gym. Challenge young Agreste to a game of football." there was a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Prove…I…I don't know. Adrien and I are good friends. Wouldn't that be rude?"

The kid scoffed, "Rude? No, think of it as…a test. To see if he's worthy to dwell in such a bright sky."

_Worthy huh?_  "It wouldn't hurt at all, would it?"

A smirk graced the kid's face, "Not at all."

* * *

Adrien placed his belongings in his locker. Nino was beside him, talking about this new band he found out about. Something about discos and panicking? It seemed fun. The way he lit up about it was nice to see, even if he personally didn't understand. The famous model heard footsteps draw closer towards him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Marcos. Although he looked more determined.

"Hey, Marcos." He greeted him.

The pro smiled at him but the spark in his eyes was still there, "Oi, today in the gym is a free day. Why don't we have a game of football?"

Adrien lit up, "Oh yeah! Sure! Hey, Nino-"

"No, just me…and you."

The blonde look back at him in confusion. Missing the smirk and glinting eyes of a tiny hitman, he hummed in question. Marcos took a step towards him with a giant smile on his face. Something about it seemed forced. Seemed fake. Something was wrong.

"Adrien Agreste," he began. People stopped and looked at them with curiosity, "I challenge you."


	6. Solar Flare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Marcos vs Adrien! Who will come out on top!?

_What?_

It was hard to fathom what Marcos had asked of him. Why challenge him?  _Him?_  To a game of football? Was this another bonding thing that guys did? Did his homeschooling make him miss out on this?!

"Do you accept?" Marcos pressed.

Adrien's eyes flickered around nervously, "Erm, what brought this on?"

"I have my reasons." Marcos vaguely responded.

"Um," Adrien noticed people staring at him, "Sure?"

The Brazilian grinned, "Good. I'll see you in the gym. Don't be late." Adrien stared dumbly, as the other swiftly left.

"Whoa! What was that about?" Nino asked, out of the blue.

"I have no idea."

Adrien tried to rake his brain to find what he had done to anger the Brazilian. So far he found nothing.  _Maybe he isn't angry, maybe just…competitive?_  Maybe this  _was_  a bonding thing that guys did. He knew that sometimes the guys would go out and play sports together. Especially Kim. He shook his head and decided to wait until it was time for their match, for now, he had a class to attend to.  _Besides,_  he smiled to himself,  _it could be fun_. Who knows, he might even grow to like football.

Time clicked on until the bell chimed to signal the next period. Adrien gathered his stuff and quickly got changed in the locker room. Some of his fencing mates gave him words of encouragement and told him that they were cheering for him. They seemed more excited about the affair than he did. It was a nice idea at first, but as he thought about it, he knew he would embarrass himself.  _And knowing father, embarrassing myself means embarrassing the family name._  He wondered if he should back out, but dismissed the idea. He didn't back down when his dad refused to allow him to go to school. He didn't back down as Chat Noir. So, he wasn't going to forfeit so easily.

_Tap_

_Tap_

_Tap_

Adrien briskly walked into the gym area. To his surprise, people were sitting on the stairs and bleachers, watching. He expected at least some people playing their own games in the corners of the courtyard. In the center were Marcos and Nino. Nino was talking to the former, most likely trying to see what's going on with him.  _Has he been akumatized? No, he would have some weird outfit and be trying to destroy Paris._  Marcos turned his head and stared at him. His eyes fired up with that same determination from before. _Was I late?_  He glanced at the clock and found that he wasn't late. Sighing, he walked forward, ready to get this over with. 

* * *

Marinette's mind went wild with panic.  _Why is he challenging Adrien? Did something happen between them?_  Alya didn't seem to know the reason and Nino couldn't get Marcos to tell him either. She watched from the sidelines, as Adrien approached Marcos. Her head started to buzz.

"It's about time you showed up." Marcos' tone was sharp. It was different from his usual tone. Even Adrien seemed to be taken off guard.

"Are you okay Marcos? Whatever it is, we can talk about it." Adrien reasoned.

There was a pause, "There's no issue. This is just a friendly game of football!" As soon as he said friendly, his eyes flickered towards her. She widened her eyes a bit as he turned away.

"Ciaossu~!" a squeaky voice piped up.

Reborn was standing in front of Adrien. He wore a black and white striped shirt and pants. Equipped with a whistle around his neck. In place of his fedora was a black hat that rested over his unruly hair.

"Welcome to a Vongola-style showdown!" Marinette's shouts of fear at the word 'Vongola-style' went unheard in between the sounds of cheers around her. "Tonight we shall witness these two competitors battle in a game of…" the hitman trailed off. "Football!"

Marcos smirked while Adrien smiled nervously. The crowd cheered, anxious to see the showdown between the school's favorites. Lifting his hand, he showed off a suspiciously green football with… _eyes? Is that...Leon?! The poor thing was going to be kicked around?!_  She guessed that everyone around Reborn suffered. Even his precious "pet".

"The rules are simple, get the ball in the goal using only your feet." and with that, he kicked the ball-Leon towards Adrien.

Adrien's eyes widened, obviously not ready, and the ball/Leon bounced off his chest. Marcos instantly zoomed at Adrien and stole the ball from him. It took a second for Adrien to react. They both sped off to the goal. Marcos leading while Adrien ran after him. Ready to take the goal, Marcos tried to kick Leon. Suddenly the chameleon bounced out of the way of the pro's foot.

"What?!" Marcos shouted in disbelief.

Adrien took this chance to steal the ball back and run down to the end of the court. Luck was not on his side as he suddenly fell. He lost his footing and tripped over the ball. Leon was then stolen by Marcos. The crowd roared as Marcos made his way back down the opposite way. Adrien staggered up and ran after him. The game went like this. Back and forth constantly. When one scored a point, the other scored one right after. Soon they were down to the last point. The next goal decided the game.

It didn't help that Leon was jumping around a lot. When Marcos or Adrien seemed to make a winning shot, the chameleon would move out of the way. Or when they finally kicked him towards the goal, he would move so that he bounced off one of the poles holding up the net. Marinette saw the irritation in both their faces. It was so foreign to see an irritated expression on Adrien.

She could tell that Reborn was enjoying the show. He stood on the sidelines with a proud smirk on his face.  _I'm glad it's not me down there._  She instantly regretted that thought. It may not have been her, this time, to be involved in Reborn's antics.  _I refuse to call that hell training_. But she felt bad for Adrien to be drag into it. The last thing she needs is for him to find out about her little dilemma. She glanced around at the various faces of her classmates. _In fact, no one needs to know. Not even…_ she glanced at Alya.  _Not even you_. 

* * *

Adrien was not only confused but irritated. That weird ball kept moving! And that baby- _What was his name again?_ -was smirking on the sidelines. And no one noticed. It still baffled him how no one seemed to care that the teacher was an infant. An infant that seemed to know his identity. He wasn't sure to be worried about that or not. It wasn't like anyone would believe him if he started to spill the beans.

Marcos flew by him, stealing the ball once again.  _Damn._  Adrien knew he was no good at this sport, but he still tried. There was that itching doubt in his mind, but he tried not to listen to it and ran after the Star Football Player. Adrien decided to channel his inner Chat Noir and take back the ball. Thinking on the fly, he stuck his foot in between Marcos' feet and kicked the ball away from him. The model proceeded to use his other foot to kick the ball in the opposite direction. Swiftly turning around, he booked it back to the designated goal.

He didn't need any cat senses to tell him that the other was gaining on his tail. He momentarily let his eyes drift from the ball and that's when it time began to slow. His foot automatically lifted up to push the green ball forward. Instead, he stepped on it and fell backward onto the cold gym ground.

Normally, when that happens, balls roll a little way forward. Maybe even bounce a little, but this ball. This ball…not only rolled and bounced forward, but it also flew. There was a silence in the air as the ball took flight. No one moved, too awestruck by the sheer luck.

It slowly landed, bounced and rolled forward. Right. Into. The. Goal. There was a long pause before the crowd exploded in cheers.

Adrien could not believe his luck. He had done the impossible. He knew Marcos was the best there was, but dang it did feel good to win at something other than fencing and basketball.

"A good Mafioso can beat his enemy at their own game." a squeaky voice chimed out.

Adrien turned his head and saw the child. What did he mean Mafioso?  _What does this have to do with the mafia?!_  He still didn't understand how this kid was just roaming around. Dressing up as if he was a teacher and such. It seemed that only their class figured out that he was a child. Every other student treated him as a teacher.

"Reborn!" His thoughts were interrupted by a shout.

Well, not just any shout. A familiar shout. It reminded him of his Lady. He looked up and saw Marinette running down the bleachers. She ran up to them and scooped the infant up-well tried too. The little guy tripped her.  _Wait! What, did he really just-!?_

She staggered forward and fell right on him. He was still on the ground, so he couldn't catch her. His head went back and hit the hardwood floor. He winced at the sudden pain and looked at the fallen girl. Marinette lifted her head up and stared at him. She was gripping his shirt and he couldn't help but notice how blue her eyes were. He never cared to notice nor even get close enough to see them. So very familiar. So very  _awfully_  familiar. There was a moment of silence before she pulled back.

Her face was so red that it made Nathanael's hair look pink in comparison. He heard her babble on. Stuttering apologies like usual. But this time, he didn't try to hear them or decipher them. All he could focus on was how blue. Very blue. Her eyes were. Like…Like the sky on a summer day...

_Like My Lady._

He quickly brushed that thought away. It was a ridiculous thought. His lady didn't want him finding out her identity. It would be wrong to jump to conclusions over something like eye color. There were most likely a lot more people with the same eye color.  _With the same shade, tone, and sparkle?_  He tried not to think about it. Instead, giving a smile to the girl and reassured her.

Adrien suddenly remembered the Star Player standing on the side of the court by his bags, a ball in his hand. He looked gloomy. And if his experience has taught him anything it was that negative emotions = akumatization. If Adrien could prevent another Akuma, he would.

The model stood up and strolled over to him. "Marcos…You alright man?"

There was silence before the other looked up at him with a big smile. "I'm fine! Great job out there!" he reached out and they shook hands. The smile made Adrien feel uncomfortable. It was plastic. Extremely fake. But, sadly, it was very familiar. The Brazilian then made an excuse and left. He waved him goodbye and a good luck! He watched him as he faded from his view. A sense of wrongness entered the air. Something wasn't right.  

* * *

Red.

That's all he saw. It was wrong. Adrien is a good guy, but it didn't stop him from feeling the way he felt. The swirls of anger intensified once he saw the little  _'moment'_  Marinette and Adrien shared. He didn't like it. Nor did he like the intense stare Adrien gave her. _Is he just now noticing her?!_   _Could he have fallen for her? No…_ The more he thought about it. The more anger he felt. So much so, that he didn't even notice the little black butterfly that landed on the football. He heard a voice. It was promising.

_**"How dare he stand in the way of your love?"** _

Marcos couldn't help but agree. His negative feelings intensified. The reminder that Adrien was a good guy was shoved out of his head.

_**"I can give you the power to get rid of him and gain the one you love.** "_

_He could!?_  A chance. He was given a chance. But it seemed too good to be true.

_**"All you have to do is bring me Chat Noir's and Ladybug's Miraculous."** _

A pair of spotted earrings along with a black ring flashed in his mind. _A wonderful opportunity and all I had to do was bring some jewelry?!_  He agreed. No hesitation.

_**"Now is your time to shine, Stellar Mark."** _

* * *

 

It was strange. When Adrien went after Marcos, he was nowhere to be found. Nowhere. The model shrugged his shoulders and sighed. He hoped that he was okay. Maybe the guy was just bitter about losing?  _If that's the case, then I definitely have to find him!_ He remembered the reason behind Stormy's akumatization. Losing was never a great thing. No one liked to lose.

He made his way back to the gym building when he felt an eerie presence. There was no one around. But his spine tingled like there was. Without any warning, his back was hit by something hard and he found himself inside… _a sphere?_  It oddly looked like a football. A sinister laughter bellowed out. Slicing through the tense air.

Adrien craned his neck and saw a floating figure.  _An Akuma! But who is it this time?_  The Akuma wore a tight yellow T-shirt, with the collar and sleeve ends being green. The collar was long and spiked back, behind his neck. The akuma had on blue shorts with two white belts crisscrossing before loosely dangling by his thighs. He had long white and green socks on with yellow and green shoes. He stood on top of a large flaming gold and white football.  _Wait, that ball…Marcos!?_ It was him!  _But what made him so upset to be akumatized? Was it the fact that I won?_

His brown hair was spiked back and just above his ears, were three feathers—yellow, green, and blue. They were on each side of his face. He adorned white shoulder pads, that resembled feathers. They connected to the front of his chest and had golden feathers dangled over them. He had a gold mask on his face, with a silver lining on the edges.

"Adrien Agreste!" Adrien tensed at how he snarled his name. Marcos shouted out again, "You don't deserve someone like her!"

_Like her?_ "Who?" Adrien asked, confused. He got no answer, instead just maniacal laughter. Suddenly, the ball and he were lifted up and taken into the school.

_This is just great. Well, all I have to do now is wait for My Lady. She'll definitely come._

* * *

There was a sudden mixture of screams filling the gym. Marinette had been in the bathroom, fangirling and crying to Tikki about her great fall on Adrien when she heard them.  _What in the_ — _An Akuma already!?_ If she was being honest, it was hard to be surprised. In this day and age, Akumas were extremely common in Paris. Especially with that creep Hawkmoth on the loose.

The heroine peeked out and saw them. In the middle of the courtyard was a large transparent sphere. The pattern on it suggested that it was like a football. Inside of it were all the spectators in the gym. They were all panicking. Except for Alya. That girl was joyously filming and most-likely commentating. It was hard to hear over the various noises.

Standing in front of them was, what she assumed to be, the akuma. They had a tight sports shirt on. Its main colors were green and yellow, with a dash of white. The collar was like something out a comic strip. Not that she could judge. Heroes and villains were usually found in those colored pages. It's collar stretched out like spiked up and behind their neck. His hair was also spiked up in a similar fashion. His eyes were framed by feathers and a gold mask. The akuma had on blue shorts with two white belts crisscrossing before they loosely dangled by his thighs. He had long white and green socks on with yellow and green shoes. He was floating on a large flaming football.

"Could that be?" she whispered to herself.

The villain floated down and flipped off his ball. She watched as it shrunk to normal size. He toyed with it. Bouncing it into the air onto his knee over and over. Even occasionally hitting it over his shoulder, where he would bring it back with a hit from his heel.

"Where is Marinette?" the akuma asked.

_Wait, he's looking for me? Then…that is Marcos!_ It was just as she feared. The embarrassment from losing must've tipped him over the edge.

Alya's smile turned into to scowl as she glared at the akuma. Her recording was forgotten as she placed her hands on her hips. "Like we'll tell you that!" Alya snarled at him.

Marcos hummed before grinning, "I'll just have to squeeze the truth out of you lot."  _Oh no! I have to transform!_

"Tikki!" the kwami nodded her head. "Transform me!"

Marinette—Ladybug jumped out of the bathroom and, trying not to let anyone make the connection to her and Marinette, she snuck to the stairwell. The akuma didn't seem to notice her yet but the prisoners did. Alya physically brightened up, Nino smirked, and Adrien… _Wait! He has Adrien!?_ Suddenly, their expressions changed. They looked panicked.  _Why? Wait…where's the Akuma?_ She heard a laugh before she found herself flying into the gym wall. Hitting the brick wall, she saw a flash gold. She slid down to the floor and looked up at the Akuma.

"Ladybug!" he laughed as he looked down at her. He jumped and sat on the football. He placed an elbow on his knee as he grinned down at her. With his chin in his hand, he chuckled at her angered expression, "How nice of you to finally show up."

Ladybug glared at the Akuma. Bringing out her yo-yo, she threw it at the ceiling and pulled herself up. She took off and swung around the Akuma. She landed on the railing. Marcos jumped up and turned her way. With a flip, he kicked the flaming ball at her. Ladybug dived to the left and looked at the ball. It was spinning in the broken wall, now gigantic.

"Ha! You don't have good aim do you?" the heroine took a page out of her partner's book and taunted him.

To her surprise, instead of getting angry, the Akuma smirked and flicked his foot to the left. She heard cracks and debris fall. Looking back at the ball, she saw it was turning towards her! Deciding not to take a chance, Ladybug swung herself away from it. She took twists and turns but to no avail, the ball was still following her.

"There's no place to run Ladybug! Just give up and hand over your miraculous!"

_At this rate, I won't be able to summon Lucky Charm. What to do…what to do_ — _Ah! I got it!_

She stopped swinging and landed on the ground. She ran like lightning. Once she got a little ways away, Ladybug spun around and threw her yo-yo at the ball. She thanked her aim when it wrapped around it, successfully. She tugged on the string and spun around, the ball was pulled around her. Once it made a complete 360, she let it go and watched it fly right at the Akuma.

He jumped up and over the ball. It zoomed past him and into the wall. He growled at her, "You'll pay for that!"

She took this moment to analyze him. Looking for anywhere the Akuma might be, she saw nothing that stood out.  _Where is it?!_ There was no trinket of any kind. Nothing that stood out.  _Other than the ball, but that_ — _wait...could it be? If so, then I had it in my hands for a mon_ — _Ugh! Let's try this._

"Lucky Charm!" she launched her yo-yo in the air and light gathered around it.

The object fell into her hands. It was a pair of goalie gloves. Ladybug glanced at the Akuma. The world slowed down and turned gray. She saw the gloves flash, Marcos flash, and the football flash. The plan was simple and easy to carry out.

She saw a flash of gold zooming at her and ducked out the way. She slipped on the pair before dodging again. She watched it fly back over to him. The player kicked it up harmlessly for a few seconds. "Let's see you dodge this, bug!" the ball bounced off his knee and soared into the air. He leaped after it and rolled in the air. The ball gradually grew in size before he kicked it her way. The damnable thing was still expanding leaving her no room to flee.

Ladybug flexed her fingers and shifted her stance. "Oh, I'm not going to dodge it," she smirked and held out her arms. The ball slammed into her hands at an alarming speed. Her classmates shouted in horror as their view of her was blocked. The ball pushed her across the floor with ease. She dug her heels in the blacktop and gritted her teeth.  _Come'on, come'on!_ She pushed back as hard as she could. The spinning ball countered. Her arms were shaking from the pressure.

Ladybug glanced behind her and noticed she was heading straight for another brick wall. She glared ahead, pushing forward, and burying the balls of her toes in the ground. Her eyes were shut tight as she ground to a slow stop. She only opened them when she felt her heel lightly touch the wall. The massive ball came to a complete stop. She took her hands off it and flopped back against the wall.

Knowing full well that neither the students or the villain could see her, she held her hand over her heart and caught her breath. Her hands were shaking at the adrenaline boost. Marinette looked at the football looming over her. Now how was she supposed to destroy  _this_? If only Chat was there, then this battle could be over.

"Ladybug!" she tensed at the agony in Alya's voice as she called out. The akuma cackled while she heard the screaming of her classmates.

**BEEP**

She cursed under her breath at the bad timing. What could she do? She had the object her, but no way of destroying it. It's not like she could punch it or claw it open.  _I need to contact Chat!_ She grabbed her yo-yo and glanced around before noticing how close the railing was. She could swiftly get up there without anyone noticing.

**BEEP**

She threw her yo-yo and allowed herself to get pulled out of there. She landed quietly and saw the ball starting to shrink. "One hero down, another to go." She backed away before running around the corner to the Library.

**BEEP**

The hero pushed the doors open and tumbled inside as her miraculous warned her. It sped up as she closed the doors behind her and slumped against them. No one was in the library as she slid down.

**BEEP, BEEP**

Her eyes dilated and she slapped her hand over her earrings. Without any warning, she transformed back in a flash of pink light. Marinette let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She turned to see her kwami floating in front of her.

"I'm sorry Marinette." Tikki apologized.

"It's alright, let's get you charged up." She slid the lucky charm off her hands and brought her purse up in her lap.

She opened her purse to get a cookie for her kwami. To her horror, there was none in there _. I knew I had some in here!_  She always made sure to keep a stash on her, but today there was none in there. Instead, there sat the pills that she was given. She considered for a moment, but shook her head and looked away. Tsuna had told her to use them when she was ready. She was far from ready or willing to take them. With the lack of a food source and her partner, she was forced to improvise.

"We'll have to get to the cafeteria and find some sweets."

Receiving a nod, she watches Tikki fly into her purse. Marinette stuffed the charm her bag as she stood up, surveyed the room, and ran out. Once she was close enough to the gym area, she ducked down and crawled. She decided to take a peek and see how her friends were doing. They were huddled together. She nearly squeaked in anger when she saw Chloé hugging Adrien for 'Comfort'. To her ultimate surprise, she saw Reborn in there. She didn't think he had the capacity to get caught. They made eye contact and she didn't see a smirk on his face as usual. He pulled his fedora out and placed it on his unruly hair, pulling it down over his eyes.

Leon crawled out his sleeve and began to glow.  _Oh no! The Dying Will bullet! I don't want to embarrass myself!_

She crawled back, hoping not to get shot by him, and she bumps into something. Or…someone. Her eyes trailed up and she saw the Akuma staring down at her.

"Eek!" she leaped away but was grabbed by her waist.

"I finally found you, Marinette." his voice, that was cold, was surprisingly warmer.

_Wait…what if this is about me rejecting him?_ She thought her rejection was gentle enough. Maybe she did something wrong and had no idea? At first, she assumed it was due to the showdown. But if she was being honest, the whole thing was strange in the first place. He approached Adrien to challenge him for unknown reasons. A stirring in her stomach warned her that maybe…just maybe he found out about her crush on the model. Without any warning, he jumped onto the gym floor, holding her close. Marinette finally pushed him away and staggered back.

"Marinette!" she heard Alya yell in panic.

Looking at her friend, she gave a reassuring nod and stared back at the akuma. "Marcos! You can't do this! You're our friend! I know it's hard to accept, but you—"

He reared his head back and laughed. "Marcos?! Who's that? I'm Stellar Mark!"

Shaking her head, "You have to come to your senses, Marcos!"

He snapped his head her way and glared, "I said, I'm Stellar Mark!" he growled and stomped his foot down. The ball next to him bounced up and mimicked the action. His hands curled into fists. The loudness of his voice made her flinch back. She heard pained gasps and saw the ball tightening on her classmates.

"Marcos! Stop it! Don't hurt them!" she cried out.

Saying his name only angered him more and he continued tightening the large sphere. Her brain refused to function properly when she heard Adrien cry out in pain. Her mind went wild with panic.  _I have to do something! I can't just stand here! But I can't transform either! Wait a minute…_ Marinette grabbed her purse and opened it. Digging inside, she grabbed the pills that Tsuna gave her. Before she pulled out her hand, Tikki tugged on her finger and shook her head.

"I…I have to do something.." Marinette whispered.

Her kwami kept shaking her head, knowing full well that she couldn't use them this soon. Getting aggravated, Marinette reached her other hand in and pried Tikki off her finger. She held the pills in an iron grip and closed the purse, not before mouthing an 'I'm sorry'.

She stared at the container full of the pills and thought of her Uncle's words and her promise.

"I'm sorry…but I have no choice."

Flicking the lid up she dumped two pills into her hand and braced herself.  _Let's see how far Ladybug's luck can take me._

* * *

Gritting his teeth in pain, Adrien tried to figure out how he could get out of this sticky situation. These close quarters with Chloé were not something he wished to experience. He saw panic in Marinette's eyes and felt his stomach turn. That expression didn't suit her well. _Did she pull out pills? What does she need those for?_  He didn't know why he felt uneasy about them. She opened the top and put two in her hand. Adrien noticed her hesitated before downing them.

For a moment, nothing happened. Suddenly, she dropped the pills and some spilled out onto the ground. Marinette gripped her head in pain. Her eyes shut tight.

Alya saw this and shouted out to her, "Marinette!?"

The akuma looked at Marinette and the ball enlarged itself again. Adrien was worried.  _What was in those pills?_ He found new determination to get out of his prison and help her out.  _Where did Ladybug go?_

"Dame-Mari, taking those before you're ready…" he heard tiny child mumble.

Adrien glanced at the baby and nearly fell back.  _Why does he have a gun!?_ He shook his head and tried to be logical. It was probably fake. Instead, he asked the infant what he meant. The child— _what was his name again?_ —looked at him and his heart fell. The baby's expression was unreadable but he still felt a twist in his gut. Those pills...there was something extremely wrong with them. He could feel it. He heard an anguished cry and saw Marinette now on her knees. Clutching her head like it might fall off. Her eyes were shut tight as her body trembled. Adrien gasped and ran towards the edge of the ball. His fist collided with the surface. He had to transform now! Identity be damned—

A piercing scream shot through the air and his vision was assaulted by a burning orange light

It happened in a blink of a second, but he swore that he saw some fire spark from Marinette before the world was engulfed in it. Behind him, the kids scrambled and screamed. In front of him was a forest of flames that danced in time with the painful screams. It raged on and on. Growing with each passing second. The villain, Stellar Mark, seemed fearful as well. He took a step back. His eyes were unsure of what to do. Hawkmoth's symbol flickered over his eyes before fading down.

She was still screaming. Adrien's insides squirmed at the sound. It didn't belong. He was used to her small giggles and laughs, hell even her stuttering. The scream made him feel pained. If he wasn't stuck in here, if he had been able to transform, he could've prevented the use of…whatever those things were and he didn't have to hear her cries of pain, she wouldn't have to feel the pain. Adrien never wanted to hear such a sound coming from his classmate ever again. Never again.

Suddenly, the fire dimmed down. It faded down until only tiny flames flickered on the concrete ground. Marinette was finally revealed behind the curtains of orange. Her hands were at her sides and her face was angled downward. Her eyes were shielded by her bangs. The strangely familiar thing was the small flame that danced on her forehead.

Just for a moment, all was still. The scared students behind him were now whispering to each other. He looked over at Alya. The girl had long dropped her phone. She was just was pressed up against the prison's walls as he was. Her eyes were fixated on Marinette.

"Mari…" he heard her whisper.

Then, Chloé suddenly gasped and pointed. He looked back and saw that Marinette had pushed herself up. Her eyes were revealed to be a solid glowing orange. Just like the flames around her. Her mouth was scrunched up into a snarl as her fists curled in on themselves.

"Oh no, That villain…did he do something to her!?" he heard Rose speculate frantically. The girl was clutching close to Juleka in fear _. No…it was those pills_. They had been the reason for this unearthly change _. Where is Ladybug?_

The fire on top of her head exploded. Growing larger than her and spreading towards the ceiling. Her hands opened and were filled with two round balls of fire. As quick as lightning, she flicked them towards the large football that encased them. Everyone scrambled back. Everyone except for the child. The two fireballs wrapped around the surface. They both left thin strings in their wake. Then, Marinette pulled on those flaming threads. Fire sliced through the surface and the prison fell. They were now free, but those strings left a ring of fire around them.

The fireballs reminded him strongly of his Lady's yo-yo _. Could it be?...No way it can't be._ The thought was forcibly removed. Those things flew back to their owner. One of them even had the pleasure of flying by him. He could feel the warmth radiating off of them. It was like tasting a ray of sunlight before it was gone. They flew back into her hands as she turned on Stellar Mark. The guy took a step back before Hawkmoth was shown to talk to him. His expression was forcibly changed to one of anger. Mark bounced his football in front of him as it grew. He quickly hopped onto it as he was taken up.

Marinette didn't seem to like the boy's attempt to escape. She threw one fire yo-yo at him. Mark swerved out the way. She threw the other one and he swerved back. A growl escaped her pink lips as she willed them back. With the "yo-yos" now in her hands, she tightened her grip and slammed them together. They combine to form one. The new "yo-yo" is then hung by a fiery string at her side. It gently rolls up and down.

The new yo-yo was strange. It had a lighter orange in their center. It seemed to be forming letters. An X and I, XI. Spinning around it were three points. It was hard to make out exactly what they were. Considering the fact that, everything was fire. Marinette rolled her fire-yo (or whatever) back up into her hand before throwing it straight Stellar Mark. He flew up to avoid the shot. However, Adrien noticed the smirk on his friend's face. The yo-yo didn't miss, instead, it wrapped around the football. The fire, already on the ball, extinguished and was replaced by the orange flames. The orange flames started to have red and yellow in them. It burned and the ball just…

_**POP** _

Exploded, it exploded. Adrien watched as a black butterfly was revealed. It seemed to burn with the remains of the ball. Until…Until he saw an orange bug fly away from the fire.  _Just like with Ladybug._ It fluttered away and he swore he saw a small flame flicker on it's flapping wings.

Stellar Mark fell to the ground as purple bubbles engulfed him. Leaving behind a sore football player. The yo-yo flew back into her hand before it evaporated. Marinette stood there as the fire in her eyes and on her head dimmed down. Before long, the fire was completely extinguished. Marinette stood still for a second before she leaned forward and backward. The girl then fell down onto the cold ground. The action roused for the crowd to move.

Adrien was the first to get to her side. He carefully held her up. Her chest was moving up and down. A fact that gave him relief. His friend was ok. She was alive. It seemed that she was only asleep. Alya was the second to reach her. She sprinted towards her friend with a shout.

"Marinette!" the blogger grasped the unconscious girl's hand and cried. Nino came up behind her and place a hand on the crying girl's shoulder. The rest crowded around them. All wore scared and worried expressions. Even Chloé, who had the child sitting on her shoulder. The girl didn't seem to notice at all. The kid jumped down and strolled over.

He placed a tiny hand on Marinette's forehead and spoke, "We need to get her to a hospital, the flames may be gone, but she's extremely weak right now." No one questioned the baby at all. Nino called for the ambulance. Many questions were buzzing in his skull, but Adrien decided to wait before asking. Now was not the time.

* * *

_BEEP…BEEP…_

The sound of the heart monitor had never been more comforting. Adrien and the child stood in the room where Marinette laid. Her hair was free of her pigtails and she had breathing tubes in her nose. She laid there, asleep.  _Like Sleeping Beauty._ There was a vase of flowers by her bed. Alya, Nino, and her parents had visited earlier. Adrien was worried for his friend and was trying to wrap his head around the flames that came out of her. They were so similar to Ladybug. He looked at the floor.  _If only I had transformed sooner…_

"Don't blame yourself, Dame-Adrien." a squeaky voice suddenly spoke. Adrien glanced at the silent infant with wide eyes and the kid continued, "What's done has been done."

"But if I hadn't gotten caught then, none of this would've happened!" he countered.

"We can't change the past. You have to accept this outcome and move on." the kid directed a sharp gaze at him, "Mopping around won't get her out of that hospital bed."

Adrien opened his mouth before closing it again. The child had a point. He shouldn't mope and sulk around. It won't change anything. But what else could he do? He looked on at the sleeping beauty. What was he supposed to do?

"Get stronger." He snapped his head towards the kid. "The best thing would be to get stronger. To prevent this from happening again."

_He's right._ "Yeah…stronger…I can do that."

The kid smirked and tilted his hat. "I'll say…those flames were pretty powerful. She may even surpass Dame-Tsuna."

"Do you know anything about that fire she produced?"

The baby seemed to pause, contemplating something. "Those were…Dying Will Flames."

"Dying Will Flames?" Adrien remembered when Ladybug had said something about saving him with her dying will.

"Dying Will Flames," the child repeated, "They are basically a very high-density form of energy that is refined from one's own life force" At that Adrien nearly choked,  _Life Force?!_ "The Flames resonates with someone's emotions. It's sort of like…an aura of some kind. But they are in many ways more alike to a real flame. Even possessing their very own destructive properties. Everyone has flames." the kid explained.

He was surprised. Adrien glanced down at his hands. He thought about the various people he met. He couldn't imagine it. His father, bodyguard, Alya, Nino…Ladybug…all had a special flame within them? But he couldn't deny it. The evidence was laying in front of him.

"So...that…that was Marinette's Flame?" he speculated the child nodded with a hum. Thinking back to Ladybug, Adrien swallowed hard and asked, "Is…Is it possible…Is it possible for people to have the same flame then?"

"Yes…and no."

Adrien rose an eyebrow, "No? How so?"

"To put it simply, there are 7 flames of the sky. Cloud, Mist, Lightning, Rain, Sun, Storm, and Sky. Sky being the rarest. So…two people can have the sky flame, but they won't be the exact same."

"How is that possible?"

"The flames are differentiated on how pure they are. No one can have the same pure level flame. They're unique. So those two people may have the same flame, but one is likely purer than the other."

Adrien guessed that made sense. He didn't really understand how everyone could have these special flames within in. He wondered how someone—how Marinette called them forward.  _Those pills_ …He remembered. Was there really a substance that could bring the flames from within out?

"So…what flame was that?" he decided to ask instead of those other  _burning_ questions. Something told him that the child wouldn't answer them. At least not at the moment.

There was another pause, "The flame on Dame-Mari was the Sky flame. They are classified by color. The Sky is orange; Storm, red; Rain, blue; Sun, yellow; Lightning, green; Mist, indigo; And Cloud, purple."

_Those colors, they're almost like…like_ —"Like the Rainbow."

The kid chuckled and grinned, "So you  _are_  smart."

There was an irritated twitch in Adrien's eyebrow. "What made you think I wasn't?"

"…I have my reasons. I already told you enough. So no more questions. Oh, and another thing, " the child glanced at Adrien. "You can't tell anyone about these flames, got it, Chat Noir?"

Adrien flinched and the baby smirked. "Whaat! Me? Chat Noir?" he let out a fake laugh, "What a very active imagination you have!" he defaulted to denying the notion.  _How does he know?!_

"It was obvious."  _Was it?! Is it!?_ "Very Obvious. It's what makes you and Ladybug so idiotic. To not be able to tell who each of you are underneath those masks, idiotic. But it's not like you make it easy on yourself either, with all your lying. I guess I'll just have to be extra hard when training you."

_Wait_ —"Does that mean, you know who Ladybug is?"

His smirk grew. "Didn't I say no more questions?"

"Yes but-" there was a chill in the room.

"Then no more questions."

Adrien wanted to argue. He wanted to so badly, but he couldn't find it in himself. It certainly wasn't fear that drove him not to. This was just a child. There was no way he was scared of an infant. Right?

"Well, since Dame-Mari got lucky enough to skip out on training. Maybe I should start yours." the child spouted nonsense before jumping from his seat. Adrien watched as he strolled through the door. Something about that kid wasn't right.

"Wait!" the kid stopped and cocked his head to the side. A gleaming onyx eye stared right through him. Adrien gulped, a chill ran down his spine. "Who are you?" he finally asked.

"Home tutor and World's Strongest Hitman, Reborn."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ciao-su~!


	7. After Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien visits Marinette while suffering from the teachings of Reborn.

Marinette was still stuck in the hospital.

But there was no reason…

No reason for this  _infant_  to stay with him. Her parents could care for him! But no! He's here! Giving Adrien hell.

Ok, it wasn't too bad in the beginning. It was actually all good in the beginning. Reborn had told Marinette's parents that he would be 'training' Adrien in Marinette's absence. Whatever that meant. The girl's father had laughed at it, while her mother gave him a hug like he was being sent to war. The hug he hesitantly accepted. It had been a while since he had one from a mother figure. It made him wonder why she looked him dead in the eye and told him good luck in Chinese. Did she know what the baby meant? Nevertheless, he decided not to dwell on it and worry about how to explain the child to his father. The thing was…he never did. He  _was_  going to but never got the chance. Every time Nathalie came to check on him, giving him a chance to explain the situation, the baby was miraculously missing…So Adrien opted to keep Reborn a secret. It wasn't like it would be the first thing he kept from his father and the assistant nor would it be the last.

So all was good until it was 3 in the morning and he awoke to a mallet. A Mallet! Adrien, tired, snapped at the child and regretted it ever since. Since he was a child. He probably was just playing with the mallet and accidentally whacked him _. Really hard._  So, maybe he shouldn't have yelled at him. However, at the time, sleep was way more precious than his small guilt. So, after scolding at the baby, he fell right back to sleep. Only to find himself awoken at 3:30 with grenades tied around him. His first thought was… _I'm going to DIE!_ And he proceeded to regret everything. From the too many puns thrown at his Lady to never getting the chance to actually find out who she was, marry her, live in a lovely home, have three children, and a cat.

To his surprise, he saw Reborn standing on his nightstand, wearing cute pink little pajamas and a hat with a pushdown detonator. He had never feared for his life that bad before. Adrien had tried to convince the child to get him out of there or step away from the detonator. In the end, he failed and got himself blown up, but to his ultimate surprise, it wasn't as bad as he assumed. It hurt, yes, however it didn't act like a real grenade. Real grenades destroy everything and kill things, people, and cause irreversible damage. The grenades that he was unlucky enough to be strapped with only left black stains everywhere. It was like a fire raged in his room and burned everything. Soot was found on his bed, ceiling, and on him. His hair was ruined. It would've been a hay day trying to explain the stains to Nathalie and his father. He could see the interaction now.

_"Adrien, what happened to your room?"_

_"Oh nothing, I was just awoken by what I think is a crazy infant with grenades. Nothing out of the normal."_

_"Oh? If that's the case, you have a shoot this afternoon."_

Like that would ever happen. He would've been in so much trouble. Thankfully, the marks on him washed away in the shower. The water under him turned all black, leaving him all clean. It made him happy he was clean yet disgusted him at the same time. His bed, however, he decided that he would just replace the sheets. He had enough time to wash the soot from the walls and sneak his ruined sheets into the laundry room.

Now completely awake, Adrien decided to have breakfast early. Even Reborn encouraged the action. Together (Adrien decided to keep a safe distance from the kid) they waltz to the kitchen. Both of them raided the shelves and fridge before fleeing. Adrien made sure to grab cheese for Plagg. Speaking of Plagg, if the kid had any doubts about his identity (which he didn't) they were quickly extinguished. The two practically got along well. Like old buds that hadn't seen each other in years. They talked a lot, mostly full of smirks and snickers. They constantly looked at each other as if they shared some big secret. The worst thing was that Reborn shared Plagg's love of cheese(to a certain extent). Especially for Camembert. When that was revealed to Adrien, he cursed all his bad luck. Now his room literally smelled like a bag of moldy cheese.

So at 3:30 he was blown up and after he rid himself of the stains, Adrien was forced outside to jog to the school, The Dupain-Cheng bakery, then back home. Only to do it once again. At first, the model refused to do such a task. He may be Chat Noir, but such a task in the morning, right after he had been blown up, was not something he desired to do. He was then shot at, making him run anyway. He wondered if Marinette had to deal with this. He could not imagine his petite classmate booking it down the streets of Paris with a crazy baby on her heels. No, she probably just looked after him as if he was Manon. At least that's what he was trying to tell himself.

After finishing that task, it was nearly 5. The actual time in which he was supposed to get up and get ready. Something that he was already done with. Then came "Breakfast" which was an unknown blessing in disguise. Due to the mysterious shortage, he was allowed to go out to eat. He guessed the Reborn was good for something. So after the model gratefully stuffed his face a second time, Adrien had to go to a photo shoot that morning. He had hoped the car would be safe. But no, Reborn had found his way to come along. The worst thing is…the kid got to ride passenger seat. How? He fooled his chauffeur. How? The baby dressed up like his father's assistant! It took all of Adrien not to fall on the car's floor when the Gorilla had let the baby in! It made him wonder how people were so easily fooled by that.

Once they were at the shoot, he was safe. Nothing bad happened to him. Other than having to pose in many different positions with a large, aching smile. But that was the norm. The best yet unnerving thing was that Reborn was nowhere to be found. Best, because the baby was absolutely crazy. Unnerving, because he felt responsible for the kid. What would happen if he lost him? He feared that Marinette would get out of the hospital and hate him when she found out he lost the kid that was staying with her. That would ruin the friendship they had.

Around his lunch break, Reborn showed back up again. He expected more bombs or running exercises, but nothing like that came. Instead, he was given more food! The child had seen his lunch and gave him a look of pity. Reborn dumped a  _Bento_ in his lap. It made his weeabo heart cry fat crocodile tears. So as he ate his food with gratitude, Reborn informed him on something strange.

"I'm going to have a someone, from Italy, come and teach you swordsmanship." he simply stated.

_Swordsmanship?_ "But, I'm already in fencing...and besides you would have to talk with Nathalie about that and so far she doesn't know you're...'staying' over my house," Adrien argued.

Reborn just smirked. Adrien felt a small shiver run down his back before shaking it off. He kept telling himself that he had no reason to fear Reborn. But the evidence, so far, says otherwise. But no...he could not fear a baby. He was Chat Noir! He fought weird and crazy villains [recklessly] on a daily basis. This should be nothing. But it wasn't.

The rest of that day passed with more explosions. Reborn ended up using his modeling to quote on quote 'Train' him. He had strike a pose, without moving too much or else something would explode. How his photographer allowed it? Easy, Reborn was dressed as a certain famous photographer and claimed that the 'lights' (as he called them) would make the photos livelier. And livelier it made it. He never felt more alive once he survived it. His hair had never been frizzier.

Adrien flopped on his bed, he had nothing else to do. The school was closed. Ladybug hadn't used her Lucky Charm, so all the damage was still there.  _Speaking of Ladybug, I wonder what happened to her_.  _That large ball hit her and she just disappeared._ Her Luck charm had disappeared along with her. Everyone was waiting for her to come and fix things. But no one knew how long that will take.  _Maybe she had an extra extreme emergency- No she wouldn't just leave like that._

"Get up." A squeaky voice called him from his thoughts. Adrien groaned and looked at the baby. "We still have more training to do."

"Training?! All those things you did was training?! For what?! I can take care of myself during Akuma attacks, just fine!" Adrien huffed.

"If you call getting injured or controlled by the enemy, fine." Reborn hopped up on the bed and stood next to him. "Besides, you need to be strong for the Famiglia."

"What family?" he finally asked.

Reborn just smirked at him. "Oh, so you do remember what it means."

Adrien's eyebrows twitched in irritation. "What family?" He asked again, trying not to let his irritation seep into his voice.

"A very influential family." Reborn simply stated.

"Who-"

He was cut off. "You ask too many questions."

"This baby is so stubborn" Adrien grumbled under his breath.

"Get up, let's see how smart you really are." Reborn pulled out a thick packet.

Adrien groaned and finally got up. He heard Plagg snickering while eating his camembert. He glared at the kwami as he chuckled at his misery, "You're enjoying this way too much."

"It's better than you going on about Ladybug. And besides...this will be useful in the near future." Plagg stated as if he knew more than he let on.

_In the near future?_ "You know something, don't you?"

Plagg paused and stared at Adrien, before smirking. "I cannot confirm or deny that I know anything."

Letting out another groan, Adrien trudged over to his desk and flopped in the chair. They went at it for hours. Luckily, there were no explosions or bullets. Instead, it was a paper fan. Every time he got a question wrong, Adrien was whacked by the fan. He mostly got hit when he did the Italian and English sections. Finally, around 10 o'clock, he finished the large packet. That's when he remembered the patrol. He should get out.

Maybe he'll see Ladybug.

Reborn had told him that today's 'Training' was over and he was free to patrol. Adrien never felt happier leaving that Mansion. The wind in this blonde locks felt so soothing. Especially after all he had to go through today. To his dismay, however, he didn't find his beloved spotted lady. Adrien-Chat Noir landed on the Eiffel Tower and surveyed all of Paris. Still no sign of Ladybug. He sighed and sat on the railing. Chat decided to use this time to think about what had happened during the attack again.

_Where did she go? Did something happen to her?_ The kitty was worried. He was completely useless during the attack. He would feel extremely guilty if something awful happened to her. He already felt awful about Marinette. His thoughts drifted from his Lady to his injured classmate. Sweet, shy Marinette. She had exhausted her 'life-force' for them. The thought made him shiver. It was a hero's job to risk their lives for the civilians, not the civilians. What kind of hero was he to let that happen?

_Those flames. Reborn said that everyone has a flame. According to him, Marinette has Sky Flames. But, going off the information he gave me about them, Ladybug has them as well. It makes me wonder what my flame could be._ He glanced down at his claws. He wondered what color flame would dance out of him. How does one even activate these flames? Chat Noir let out a sigh and gazed up at the full moon.  _Where are you Ladybug?_ He tried calling her but the mysterious beauty never answered. As he scanned the world around him, his eyes shifted to the hospital that stood tall in the distance.  _Maybe it wouldn't hurt to pay a visit._

With that in mind, he bounded across the rooftops to the hospital. When he was near, the cat landed on the roof of the building next door. Chat looked up at the various windows, searching for Marinette's. It wasn't like he could walk in, asking for a visit. It was after 10, visiting hours were long gone. And he wasn't about to use his hero privileges _. Besides the press would have a hay day as to why one of the heroes would want to visit a hospitalized pretty girl._ Luckily there was a window open and with the light on. The pink curtain blew in the breeze. He decided to start with that. If he was lucky it would be hers. If not then, this would be very awkward.

Taking his trusty Baton out, Chat extended himself up to the height of the window. He peered inside and saw Marinette sitting up in her bed. Her hair loose. A sight he liked very much. He thanked his lucky stars that this was the right window. He wore his Chat Noir swagger before he leaned forward and leaped inside. 

* * *

Marinette was admiring the flowers she was given when Chat decided to roll in. Startled, she nearly grabbed the nearest thing (a vase) and threw it at him. Nearly. The temptation to do it was still there. Glaring at the tomcat, she spoke in a raspy tone. "What are you doing here, Chat?"

"A little birdie informed me that my Princess was hurt. I came to check on you." the superhero smirked.

She placed the vase back and crossed her arms, "Well, I'm fine now, just exhausted."

"Are you sure, Princess? I heard things got pretty  _heated._ "

Now that she thought about it. She barely remembered what happened. All she remembered was seeing orange and pain. Excruciating pain. At first, it felt as if her body was self-destructing. As if every bone had shattered. Then it felt like something was being forcefully sucked out of her. Like all her energy was depleting rapidly. Then she felt a sudden rush of power overwhelm her. Her body had moved on its own. She didn't know if she had been Ladybug or not. But she felt the constant brush of her yo-yo in her palms. The visuals were a blur, but the sensations were still there.

_It was awful. I should've listened to Uncle Tsuna and Tikki._

The secret superhero got an earful from her kwami when she woke up. It was dangerous, but she couldn't see another way. Alya was hurt, Nino was hurt and Adrien was hurting as well. And she had no way to charge Tikki up. So transforming wasn't an option. She had [foolishly] hoped her Ladybug luck would work.  _I guess it's not ok to count on Luck all the time._

Marinette sighed, "Yeah, I heard as well…"

The cat gave her a confused look. "You mean you don't remember."

"I do…somewhat." Marinette twilled with her thumbs. "All I remember is seeing orange."

She decided not to mention the pain. She had already burden more people with worry. She just wanted to move past this and fix everything. Ladybug had left the scene way to early. It must've looked like she ran. When the reality was the hero was stuck in the hospital due to her foolishness. The only positive thing was that Reborn was nowhere to be seen. A horrific thought crossed her mind.  _What if he went to inform Tsuna!?_ She didn't want to make the man upset with her. He strictly told her not to use them too early. Now, look at her.

"Are you sure that's all you remember? Your throat sounds as hoarse as a crow."

"Well, caw, caw to you too, Chat." she giggled harshly and started coughing.

She felt a hand on her back, "Whoa, whoa princess. I know I'm devilishly good-looking, but there's no need to choke."

Marinette couldn't stop the smile from spreading on her face. Calming herself down, she tried once again, "Devilishly good-looking? Ha! In your dreams!"

"I'll have you know, I look good in and out of my dreams." She laughed lightly at him. Trying not to strain her throat. Marinette stopped when she saw a clear glass of water in her face. The nurse had poured her a glass, but she never got around to drink it. "Here, you should really drink up."

Marinette looked up at Chat, then back at the glass. "Thank you-" she grabbed it, her fingers brushing his.

There was a spark and her fingers felt on fire from the contact. It felt like that time in the rain with Adrien. The fire spread up and through her, before settling in her cheeks. Confused at the familiar contact, Marinette quickly took the glass and pulled her hand away.  _What is wrong with you Marinette?! Calm down!_ She took a swig of her water and instantly felt a little bit better.

"Thank you, Chat." her voice was still hoarse but it felt better than before.

His ears twitched to her secret amazement. "You're welcome, your Highness."

She giggled, "Thanks for visiting me. It's was nice. You make for pretty nice company." she felt her face heat up more, she tried to shake it off and smirked playfully before adding, "Visiting me like this, you can really make a girl feel special." Marinette smiled and looked at her flowers, totally missing the blush that bloomed on Chat's face.

"If the Princess should allow, maybe I shall visit more."

She smirked and looked at Chat, "I'll consider it, Minou." she tagged the nickname on the end out of habit. She was still smiling, but her mind was running wild. Marinette Dupain-Cheng didn't give Chat Noir nicknames at all! They were never close enough for that.  _He did call me princess…so I guess it's payback._

The two sat through the night and chatted. Chat Noir apologized for not being there. He gave no excuse as to why he wasn't. Instead, he displayed his deep remorse for his absence. It warmed her heart, but she reminded him that it was fine. Superheroes were human after all. They couldn't help what got in their way. She just hoped that everyone else thought that too. They went back and forth with light banter. It closely resembled the kind they used in battle. That fact made her nervous that he would figure it out.

Their conversation was interrupted by that familiar sound. A light knocking on her door. The two looked at the door with matching frowns. From behind the door, a voice was heard, "Marinette?" she gasped.  _Uncle Tsuna._

"Just a minute!" she called out and look back at Chat.

The cat looked confused for a second but gave her a small smile. "Well, I guess it's time we part ways, Princess," he whispered.

She nodded, "I'll see you around, Chat Noir." he gave her a swift nod before vaulting out the window. Marinette didn't know why, but she felt relieved and disappointed he left. He was a nice guy when he wasn't flirting as much. Maybe she was just imagining the spark that she felt and her disappointed. There's no way she would ever feel those feelings for Chat like she did with Adrien. It just didn't work that way. Right? She felt unsure. Well if there was one thing she was sure about, it was that she was already wondering when the stray cat would come to visit her yet again.

The heroine looked at the doorway and sighed, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal her uncle. He was dressed in a simple orange hoodie with a white 27 over the heart. He had sunglasses over his eyes and a white cap over his hair. The male pushed his sunglasses up off his eyes and grinned.

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything?" something told her that he knew Chat had been there. Marinette blushed and shook her head. Tsuna hummed before sighing. His grin dropped as he pulled his hat and sunglasses off. He walked towards her and sat down a chair. "Reborn informed me of what happened."

"I'm sorry, Tsuna." she looked down in shame.

"You should be," she flinched at the honesty, "that was an extremely dangerous thing to do. You could've done some irreversible damage." There was a pause before he sighed again, "However, I understand why you did. It wasn't a good thing, but I'll give you a pass this time."

She gasped and looked at him with bright eyes. "Really!?"

"Yep, however, I don't want to hear another occasion like this again."

She nodded her head with such vigor, "Of course!" she was so glad that he wasn't too upset with her.  _Oh, that reminds me…_ "Hey, Tsuna?" he tilted his head and hummed. "On one of my patrols…I witnessed someone try to sell secrets about Vongola."

"I know. One of our agents, Pavoni, informed me of Ladybug's…" interference" as she called it. I've handled it accordingly."  _Of course, he did. He's a Mafia boss for crying out loud._

"I guessed that much, but he had claimed that he had "special" information. I wonder…you don't think that he meant…" she let the silence speak for itself.

Tsuna shook his head. "The only ones who know about my connection to you are my Guardians and Reborn." She sighed in relief. That man must've been bluffing or lying if that was the case.  _How despicable._ Suddenly, she felt a hand on her head. Looking up, she saw the smiling face of her uncle. "And even if he did know…I'd protect you. Don't worry." She could see the genuine look in his eyes.

Marinette grinned, "I know."

Suddenly there was a loud click. Both of them turned to look at the source and saw one of the nurses coming in. She wore a pink uniform. She had curly raven hair. It was long and tied back into a high ponytail. She had sparkling green eyes that reminded Marinette of a doll. Covering them was a pair of glasses. For some reason, she looked  _very_  familiar. Her name tag gleamed in the light, "Lucia" it read.

"Oh my, Sorry to interrupt. But visiting hours have ended." She politely informed them.

Marinette turned to Tsuna. "Are you going to be flying back?"

He nodded, "I have paperwork to do, so I must." She felt pity for him. Having to do so much paperwork must've been exhausting. She watched her Uncle get up. He gave her one last ruffle in her hair before there was a gasp. They turned to the Nurse and saw that she had her hand over her mouth as she stared at Tsuna.

"Oh my God! You're Tsunayoshi Sawada! The leader of Vongola-" They both tensed, "Incorporated!" The woman squealed. They both released a sigh. Tsuna smiled at the woman before placing a finger over his lips. The universal sign of "Be Quiet".

"It's best we have my being here  _not_ broadcasted, Mademoiselle."

Lucia giggled, "Of course, Sorry!" Marinette noticed how she batted her lashes and wanted to puke. "Oh! I feel awful for interrupting your visit with your  _daughter_!"

Marinette's eyes narrowed at the obvious ploy. Everyone knew that Tsunayoshi Sawada, Vongola CEO (and mob boss), had no children. She was trying to get out the reason her Uncle was there and what their relationship was. By falsely labeling the situation, she's hoping for him to correct her. Though Marinette was confident that her Uncle was smart enough-

"Oh no, she's my niece." She slapped her hand to her forehead.

"Well, the family resemblance is definitely there!"  _No, it's not._

Tsuna chuckled and looked back at her. "I'll be going now. Try not to overwork yourself."

"I won't, Uncle Tsuna." she sang cheerfully even though on the inside she was slamming her head against the metaphorical wall.

"I'll escort you out, sir!" The nurse said a little too eagerly as she skipped over to Tsuna's side and held his arm hostage. Seeing the shy blush on her Uncle's face made her want to hurl again. Lucia winked and placed a finger over her lips. "And don't worry your secret is safe with me!"

Marinette had her doubts about that.


	8. To Be or Not To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette continues to wonder what it truly means to be a Sky. While something nefarious is plotting behind the scenes.

Far away and out of sight, there was a brunette strapped to a metal chair. Hidden inside a metal room. Not a window was in sight. The only light sources were the fluorescent lights that shone down onto the room and its occupants. Other than the poor man in the chair, there three other men. One stood tall with short black hair and a small scar on his chin. On his back was a case that seemed to be for a some-type of the long piece of equipment. His hand was gripping the strap and on his finger was a silver ring with raindrops carved into it. On the left was a man with white hair shaped like an octopus. This man had a scowl on his features and seemed to be growling. He wore a large variety of rings, one similar to the tallest. Except with a storm cloud on it. Lastly, next to him was another white-haired male. He had a bandage over his nose, an old scar on the edge of his left eyebrow, and his hands were bandaged up as well. He also sported a silver ring, this time with a small sun on it. Each wore a black suit that had their own colored dress shirts underneath the jackets. The first, blue; the second, red; the last, yellow.

A deep angry voice growled, "Quit the bullshit and tell us what information you claimed to have!"

"I told you! I don't know anything! It was just a ploy to get more money!"

The three glared him down before the blue one turned away. He placed his finger over a Bluetooth that sat in his ear. "What do you think, Tsuna?" he spoke into it. There was silence before a static voice came through.

"He's lying."

Blue turned back to the prisoner with a glare. "Gokudera-kun. You heard the boss."

The red one grumbled before smirking at the brunette. He pulled out a box from his waist and slammed his fist on it. It opened and out came a large, flaming leopard. It growled before circling around the traitor. The man showed an eminent fear of the animal. He squirmed his seat as the creature came to a stop in front of him.

"Uri." the red one, Gokudera, silently commanded. Uri responded by propping her paws up onto the man's legs. She leaned into the man's face with a growl.

"Alright! Alright!" The man screeched. "It was about the possible successor to Vongola!"

Alarm was written over each of their faces. Uri jumped away from him as Blue came forward and grabbed the man by his shirt. "Who!? Who told you this!?" he demanded.

"I don't know their name! They sent me some pictures by email! The IP was untraceable!"

"What pictures?" Yellow inquired.

"It was of him talking to some Asian girl. I don't know!"

"Where are these pictures!?" Blue shook him.

"I printed them off!" Gokudera cracked his knuckles as Uri drew closer. "They're still in my apartment! I planned to sell the information!" he confessed.

Blue grumbled before pushing the man down. The traitor tipped over and fell onto the concrete ground. Blue turned to look at his partners. His hand went back to his ear. "What should we do, Tsuna?"

The man, Tsuna, was silent for a moment. Then he spoke with concern and worry in his voice. "Takeshi and Ryohei," the two straightened as they were addressed. "you two will go to Paris as planned. Hayato, I need you to retrieve those images and get Hibari on the phone."

The three gulped in unison, "H-Hibari?" Takeshi questioned.

"Why do we need him?" Ryohei asked.

"I fear danger is starting to close in. I can feel it." The man simply answered.

The three didn't question it any further. They all just nodded their heads with a quick "Yes, boss."

* * *

She was finally free!

Released!

Like a bird being released back into the wild! If her home counted as the wild.  _Knowing how crazy the bakery gets, it's safe to say it is._ Marinette could finally go back home. The hospital had let her go, finally. Plus, that flirty nurse had kept her word. No one knew about Tsuna's visit. It made her feel guilty for doubting her. Everything seemed to be looking up. Now, all she had to do was use the Lucky Charm and her life would return to normal.  _Sort of_. Ever since a certain hitman was introduced into her life, it would never be as normal as it was before.  _Speaking of Reborn…_ She wondered where her 'tutor' could be right now...

* * *

"Say, How are you, in Italian!"

**"How-how you is?"**

"Wrong."

"NO! I can get it! Give me another try-"

_**BOOM** _

* * *

She shrugged her shoulders.  _Maybe he finally changed his mind about me being a Mafia boss. I hope so._ Marinette was ordered by the doctor (and Tsuna) to not overwork herself. They said she was still weak, so doing anything with a too much effort could make her come back. Which was not what was needed. Right now. Ladybug was needed. Of course, she would have to explain what happened and where she went next time Alya caught her, but she'll cross that bridge when she got to it.

Her parents stuck by her side the whole time when they finally got home. They didn't allow her to work on any projects. They made her stay in bed. Luckily, they soon left her alone, but then Alya swung by. Not that Marinette wasn't happy to see her friend, she just didn't want to be interrogated right now.

The girl questioned her about the flames that apparently appeared on her forehead. Marinette had played dumb and asked for her account of the whole event. She was told that she had burst into flames while screaming in pain. The girl told her that she had then kicked Stellar Mark's butt. She said that she had two weapons made of flames. When Marinette asked for an explanation of the weapons, Alya blanked. The only thing that she remembered about them was that they had strings. The remembrance of the sensation of feeling her yoyos came back to Marinette and filled in the blanks. So she apparently had fire yoyos.  _Cool._

The only thing that bugged her was the fact that Alya had seen it. If Alya saw it, then so did Nino, Chloé, and her whole class. Including Adrien!  _How great…_ In the end, Alya gave her a bone-crushing hug. Expressing her worries over her wellbeing ( _"It was crazy! I was so scared! I thought I was going to lose you, Mari!"_ ) and once again asking her about the flames.  _Don't tell anyone._ Marinette continued to play clueless and Alya gave up.  _No one._

"Don't worry, Alya. I'm not going anywhere. Anytime soon." She had sworn to her and herself. Making sure to never do that deadly stunt again until she was ready (If she ever got ready). After reassuring her friend, the girls talked and teased like normal. Alya ended up leaving around 9. Finally, she took this time to go and fix things.

Changing back into Ladybug never felt better. Of course the first couple of houses she stumbled and nearly fell.  _I guess these past weeks really took a toll on me._ She found her rhythm and swung into the night. With the Lucky Charm in hand, she zipped to the top of the school. Ready to finish the job.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

She threw the item in the air and little ladybugs flew all over the city. She wanted to stay and watch Paris light up but decided against it. She was already feeling tired, so it would be unwise to stay any longer. Grudgingly, she swung back home and onto her terrace. She took a quick scan around the area before letting her transformation drop. Sighing, she stared up at the sky. The wind blew and caressed her round face. Marinette closed her eyes, enjoying the moment of peace. With Reborn around, she barely got any.  _But seriously, where is that baby?!_  His absence made her worry.

* * *

"Stand still, Dame-Adrien! This will only hurt a lot."

"No! Plagg help!"

* * *

The night's events soon caught up to her and she felt dizzy once again. Gripping the railing of her terrace, she fought to balance herself _. Maybe going out this soon was a bad idea_. But alas it was too late, she had swung from building to building. Right after her doctor hand told her to not overwork herself.

"I guess jumping from rooftops is overworking it." she weakly laughed to herself.

"You should get inside and rest. You don't want to faint out here." Tikki floated by her, gently placing her tiny nubs on her cheek.

"Yeah, just…just let me stable myself for a minute." Marinette breathed.

It took more than a minute. She stood at the railing for at least 5 minutes to steady herself. She let out a sigh and tried to walk to her trapdoor. It was going fine. Until she reached the trap door. Her teapot had fallen and she was unlucky enough to trip over it. She used her arms to protect her face from the impact. It stung but compared to what she dealt with on a day to day basis, it was like pricking herself with a needle. Small and insignificant.

_Stupid pot._

Groaning, she laid there. Sprawled out on the terrace. The wind blew, making her shiver. No, it was not a great idea to run around the roofs of Paris right after she was discharged. Stupid idea, even. She could've waited until the next day, but she didn't want to leave the school that way for any longer. Gaining some energy, she rolled herself onto her back and stared at the midnight sky. It was dark and vast. Endless. With many stars and many possibilities. Even when it was clouded by dark storm clouds that shot lightning bolts. Or when the sun's rays were scattered by the mist from the rain. It still was it's wide, vast self. Open to the birds and planes that flew up there. Even the magical superhero children-Ladybug and Chat Noir-were welcomed.

_"The sky that embraces all."_

Tsuna had told her, that the sky welcomed everything and everyone. With open arms! As he put it. She couldn't understand how that worked. What if the sky embraced the wrong thing? What if it was broken by that thing? What would happen to the elements that were brought together by it? Would they die out? Disappear? Fade away like nothing? Or move on to a new sky? How can you even find a sky?

_"Flames are classified by color. The Sky is orange…"_

Orange. That color that filled her vision. Did that mean she was this sky? The thing that was to accept all? That brought things together? Marinette couldn't imagine leading anyone. Sure, she was Class Rep. but that was different. Or was it? Maybe it wasn't? Besides, that's not her only job. She was Ladybug. The heroine that helped everyone, brought peace and saved people from others and themselves-well akuma wise. Those were things heroes…strong leaders did. So, maybe it made sense for her to possess such a flame.

_"You may not know it now, but you also have people who gravitate around you."_

Gravitate around her? Who could possibly? Well, there's Alya-but she's can't possibly gravitate around her. Could she?

_"No matter how mean or how nice, they'll be drawn to you."_

Maybe that's the reason that Chloé's so awful towards her? Other than her crush on Adrien. The designer closed her eyes and shook her head. That thought was crazier than it sounds. Chloé being drawn towards her because of some Sky- _What was it again?-_ Force? It was silly. Her thoughts drifted towards Vongola. The company and the mafia. The company was more or less just a legal cover, but the mafia family, Reborn told her that in the beginning, Vongola was a vigilante group. Heroes. But certain people came into power and made it a family with the ugliest, bloodiest history. That scared her. Was it still cruel? Bloody? Is that what it is nowadays?

_"To protect the ones I love and the Innocent where the law cannot."_

That was right. It was being transformed as she thought. Her gentle uncle would never kill someone. It was now a mafia that helped people. Not hurt them. Still…the prospect of being the leader of such a big family frightened her. Could she do it? What if she turned into a Criminal and brought the bloodshed back? Could she carry the torch? Be able to protect those where the Law couldn't?

_"Just like you do, when you fight those Akumas."_

_HA!_ How could she forget? She does that already. Protecting those she loves  _and_  the innocent from Akumas. She was branded a hero for it. The police can't stop Akumas as her and Chat could. The law didn't protect people from turning or being attacked by an Akuma. But, it was just her and Chat. Not a group of people. A 'family'. It made her think. What kind of family did he mean? She couldn't-wouldn't even dare to bring her family into that kind of thing. Fighting? No, no way. She hadn't thought to ask him what family he meant. Thinking back on it, it would've been wise to ask.

"Marinette?" Tikki questioned. Cracking an eye open, she looked at the kwami. She looked concerned. "I've been calling you for a while."

"Oh? Sorry, I was lost in thought."

"What were you thinking about?"

Marinette turned her attention to the sky. "…Could I do it? Become a Mafia boss? I was so sure that Mafia encased all things evil. But, Tsuna is not evil! I don't want to believe that everything he's done was a façade. He's not like that." She reached up towards the stars as she continued, "At first, I was strictly against the idea of becoming one. But as I think over what he told me…I'm becoming unsure."

"I believe you would be an excellent Boss. Sure the work may be tough and you might have to make the most difficult choices. But, I don't doubt for a second that you would be unable to do it. I mean look at you! You're Ladybug! The bravest, kindest, sweetest hero. I have faith in you, Marinette."

She smiled at the encouragement, "But should I?"

"That's for you to decide." the kwami was right. It was ultimately her decision. It should've been an easy answer, but now…she didn't know.  _I need more time._ She needed to know if she would be the right person to carry on Tsuna's legacy. "Now! I think it's time we try to get inside again. Don't want to fall asleep up here." Tikki giggled.

"Ha! Yeah, you're right."

"Mmhm!" the mini god twirled around and smiled at her.

"Oh, and Tikki," Marinette spoke with gentleness in her voice. "Thank you."

* * *

The whistling of the wind rang through the air. The rhythm of the rushing of people worked in harmony to create a heart-wrenching melody. The sky was dark and clouded. Not even a glimmer of the moon showed through. The only thing lighting up the sky were strikes of lighting. Standing flush against a building was a woman staring out at the dark world around her. She had long raven hair and wore a grey trench coat. Her emerald eyes gleamed with mischief and malicious. In her ear was a tiny black Bluetooth earpiece. Hanging around her neck was a large camera.

"Vongola has that dirtbag, Alexander," she informed the person on the other end. "Right after we bailed out his sorry ass too."

When the other person spoke, they had a deep computerized voice. "Perfect. Everything is going according to schedule."

The woman smirked, "Decimo even came to the hospital to visit his  _niece_." she emphasized the word and huffed. "I could've ended it right there. All this watching and waiting bullshit would've been over. Both of them were in my grasp!"

"You know your orders."

The woman sighed but did not challenge the person on the other side. Emerald orbs turned towards a building with the lights at the top still on. Standing at the edge of a balcony was a tiny French-Chinese girl. Her dark hair gleamed in the light. The woman lifted her camera and zoomed on her. It looked as though she was talking to someone. When the girl looked up, the woman snapped a few photos.

"Just keep your eye on our little bluebird."  _Snap, Snap, Snap._ The lady caught a dozen or so pictures before the girl went inside. The lights turned off behind her. Pulled her camera down, she ran through the pictures. Cycling through them all, she landed on one where the girl was looking in her direction. She hadn't seen her, but the poor child had no clue she was there lying in wait.

"Rodger that, boss."

* * *

When Adrien woke up that morning, he was surprised. No Reborn in sight! It was a blessing from the heavens. Of course…it wasn't like he was scared of the child. Just…Oh, who was he kidding? Reborn was deadly. How was he still alive? He didn't know. He decided to get himself ready for the day. Not going to waste a second of peace. Plagg was cradling his cheese on his desk. The black cat was sound asleep. Most-likely dreaming of fields of cheese or something.

Poking the small god, Adrien roused him from his slumber, "Wake up, you can sleep in my pocket."

Plagg cracked a green eye and glared at Adrien. "But it's soo early!" he whined.

"Hmph, come on! It's not that early. As to oppose to when Reborn wakes me. Now that…is early." The creature groaned before floating up, still holding it's beloved cheese. Adrien pulled his usual white overshirt open and allowed the kwami to fly inside its usual spot. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.  _Nathalie._

"Adrien, are you up yet?"

"Yeah! I'm up, just getting my stuff ready."

"Well, your breakfast is ready."

"Ok! I'll be out in a second."

The assistant left. He could hear her footsteps echo through the door as she walked away. He gazed out his big window. Ladybug had fixed the school and he was too preoccupied with Reborn to go out and see her. He wondered where she went. What happened to her? If he was lucky, he might find out today. He grabbed his bag and strutted out his ridiculously big room. He stepped into the empty vast halls of his house. Yes, house. Not a home. It was too empty, void of emotion to be considered a home. The atmosphere was always thick and cold. To be honest, he briefly wished that Reborn was there again. The crazy infant brightened up everything when he was here. Yes, his methods were…Spartan-like but he made this empty house shine like…the sun! It was like he was a walking, talking,  _evil_ sun. So full of life…even if it seemed like he was going to kill him any second.  _Oh, the irony._

Adrien made his way down the stairs and to the dining hall. He looked at the table and saw his food ready for him. Not wasting an ounce of time, he rushed to his seat and ate like no tomorrow. A mini habit he grew from Reborn's presence.

"Ah-em." He stopped his assault on the healthy meal and looked at the assistant. "Your schedule." she handed him a sheet of paper, filled with colored charts and timelines.

That's when he noticed something. His fencing instructor. Usually, Nathalie placed the name of his teacher(s) on the sheet. But today, there was a name in the place of his fencing teacher's.

_Yamamoto Takeshi. I wonder who that is?_

"Who's Yamameto Takeshye?" he completely butchered the name.

The assistant either ignored the fact he most-likely said the name wrong or didn't know the right way to say it either.

"He's a Japanese swordsman from Italy, who's agreed to teach you. Your usual trainer has taken a sudden vacation." he heard the small irritation in her voice. "That being said, treat him with respect. He is a very influential man. He works directly for the Boss of Vongola Industries. He took his time out of his busy schedule to teach you. Please don't misbehave. Your Father thinks this will be a valuable experience."

_"I'm going to have someone, from Italy, come and teach you swordsmanship."_

This was likely to be that person Reborn was talking about. Adrien shivered at the thought.  _What if he was as evil as Reborn? Sadistic and cruel?_ Then he thought of the fact that this new guy works for the boss of Vongola. Sawada Tsunayoshi. In the news and media, Monsieur Sawada was always portrayed as a kind and caring man. It seemed unthinkable for a guy like that to have someone  _evil_ near him. Though, it was strange that a swordsman worked for him. Very strange. Not that he minded. He had a small god sleeping in his over shirt after all. He was used to strange.

_Still, why would a big company Boss have a swordsman working directly for him? Bodyguard maybe?_

Adrien wondered how this Yamamoto would look and teach. Would he be an ugly, carefree guy or a strict, good-looking professional? Would he treat him like a child and go easy on him or be like his father with high expectations? And how….how was he connected to Reborn? If he was _. Which he most likely is. This is much too big of a coincidence for him not to be._ There really was only one way to find out.

Soon breakfast was complete and he was escorted from his house to school. The trip didn't take too long. The usual car pulled up to the front entrance. Where his best friend awaited him. As per usual. Adrien exited the vehicle. He bid goodbye to his bodyguard before greeting his friend. Waving, he walked over to Nino.

"Hey man!" Nino clapped his hand into his own and the two shared a brief hug. "I'm kind of upset Ladybug fixed the school so soon."

"Soon? It's only been a couple of weeks." Adrien laughed.

"That's the thing. It was still not enough! I think I need a month off. Or better yet a year." the dark male joked.

"That'll be the day."

The two chuckled to themselves and entered through the front doors. The duo laughed and made small conversation. They passed Marinette's Locker and something caught Adrien's eye.

It was Marcos. He was there, looking shyly as he talked to Marinette. Her face was dusted with a light pink. A bright smile plastered on her face. Seeing him, made him remember the orange flames, the screams, and the fight that had occurred. His stomach coiled. Adrien didn't like this icky feeling he was experiencing. It was painful. It seemed to be a mix of anger and hatred. Of course, he had no reason to feel such things. Marcos was a nice guy. He just became upset and got akumatized. No big deal. Happens all the time around here. Well. Maybe it was the fact that Marinette had gotten hurt in the process. The feeling stabbed through his chest non-stop.  _What is this?_ It was suffocating. Like he was drowning or choking on air. He didn't even notice how harsh and shallow his breathing became. He hadn't even heard Nino. The music lover's words faded in the background as he looked at the two.

"I'm really sorry about…yeah. I heard what happened and…well…" Marcos stuttered.

"No, no it's fine. It's common around here." the baker's daughter sweetly reassured him.

"It shouldn't be. You got hurt and it's all my fault. I should've controlled my emotions better. I knew it would be dangerous, living here with extreme emotions."

"It's alright, everyone goes through it."

"I don't want to see it happen to you though. If he breaks your heart, you can always come to me. I don't mind being a backup."

Marinette shook her head and hands. Waving his notion away with a tiny laugh, she exclaimed, "No! You should find yourself, someone, better. Way better than me! You deserve as much."

"Aha! Better than you? There is no such being. But seriously, if he doesn't see what a beautiful and amazing person you are, then he is utterly blind." Adrien saw Marinette face turn a darker shade of red.  _How cute._

"Marcos!" she whined.

"What?! I'm just kidding."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "You're something else."

The Brazilian laughed, "I guess. But in all seriousness, Marinette if you ever need someone to talk to…I'm here."

"Thank you…but as I said, find someone worthy of you. You're a great guy, Marcos. You deserve someone who will love you just as much."

"Thank you, Marinette." The two stared at each other. Silently talking, but smiling. Adrien didn't understand why he had the urge to march over there and interrupt their eye conversation. Or the urge to pull Marinette away from Marcos. He couldn't for the life of him fathom why he thought of the Brazilian to be a threat now. The boy wasn't Akumatized anymore, the city was safe. He had no reason to feel how he felt. But deep down he knew this feeling was the burning fire of jealousy. He knew was that it was wrong to have such negatives emotions towards a classmate. So, the boy pushed it down and labeled the reasoning behind it as the player's ability to converse freely and easily with Marinette. It seemed everyone was great at making friends with her than him.

"-Bro?"

The model snapped his head away and looked at his friend. The teen was studying his face carefully. He breathed. Really to pull out his award-winning smile. The fake smile that concealed all. Hardening his eyes, as to make sure not to show any evidence of the foul unknown emotion he's going through.

"Yeah?"

"You alright? You seemed to be staring at something," Nino smirked and looked over at Marinette before looking back at Adrien, "or someone?"

"No, I'm just tired. I sort of zoned out. Lots of Photoshoots lately." he lied.

Nino rolled his eyes. "Yeah…you were totally zoned out…and into Marinette."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." and he didn't. Sort of?

"Uh-huh." Nino obviously didn't believe his excuse.

"I don't."

"Yep."

Adrien pouted and he felt his eyes wandering back to Marinette. Before he stopped himself. He didn't want to prove Nino right. He wasn't staring at Marinette. Just being watchful. She was getting involved with too many Akuma attacks lately. It scared him. She was the sweet girl who stood up for people with confidence. Of course, she got tongue-tied around him a lot.  _What is with that anyway?_

The model carried on with his day, going through each lesson so automatically that it was like he was a robot. The stabbing feeling finally faded away and he felt back in control of his emotions. No more confusing anger. No more twisting guts or feelings of drowning. It felt good. Even better when he heard Alya talk about Ladybug theories. To his surprise, she didn't even mention that last fight. No one did. It felt like a sore spot for anyone who saw it. It wasn't every day, you hear the sweet and cute Marinette scream out in pain and defeat a villain. The reminder made him shiver.

He longed to forget it ever happened, but some part of him clung to the memory. As if he was trying to forcefully remind himself what happens when he doesn't pull through as a hero. Or a friend. Had he just threw away the worry that others and eventually his father would know his identity, he could've prevented Marinette from ending up in the hospital. But no. He didn't. Something he deeply regretted.  _Maybe I do need Reborn's training. I am practically useless._

Adrien sighed as he walked to the last class before fencing. He barely paid attention and just let his feet walk. He didn't even notice anyone calling out to him until a hand was on his shoulder. Startled, he whipped his head around and saw the familiar Brazilian.

"H-Hey man." the other stuttered and he felt the threat was still there.

He just stared at him, "Hey…"

"Okay look. I'm sorry." Marcos apologized.

_What?_ "Why? It's okay, that's common around here," he reassured him.

"I know…but that's not it. I'm sorry how rash I was acting. I just go so…jealous that I couldn't think straight. I should've never acted that way towards you."

Adrien smiled at the apology. The threat fading away, thankfully. "It's ok, Marcos. You're only human. And sometimes we let our emotions get to us."

"Yeah, sad how they can turn us into literal monsters now." the Brazilian looked down. "I'm sorry if I did anything while I was like…that."

The model shook his head. "It's fine. I just hope that we're still friends?"

Marcos smiled, "Yeah, as long as you still want to hang with me." he stuck his hand out to shake.

"I would be honored." Adrien grinned before shaking his hand.

The two grinned before the bell cut their moment off. Adrien was glad to have mended things with the foreigner. Of course, he didn't think there was anything to mend, but to Marcos there obviously was. He was also glad that the feelings of Marcos being a threat had faded. It wasn't right for him to feel such things since the boy wasn't akumatized anymore. Soon they began to part ways with a suggestion to hang out sometime later. A suggestion, not a promise. He couldn't promise something that is likely to break with his schedule. However, before Adrien could get to his class he was stopped.

"Hey, Adrien…How good is your eyesight?"

Adrien slowly replied looking a bit baffled. "My eyesight? Um…it's 20/20 I believe, why?"

Marcos grinned and shook his head, "No reason, just curious." The Brazilian continued on his way before disappearing around the nearest corner.

That confused Adrien greatly.  _What weird question to ask_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Late New Years! Honestly, I don't feel like this year is different yet, but it's only been 5 days in so who know what will happen? For me, 2018 was just...too busy! I was graduating one month, scrambling for a job the next, going into college (while landing a weekend job), etc etc. So many things were happening at once. It was too exhausting.


	9. Rain Guardian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Vongola Rain Guardian makes a one way trip to Paris, France!  
> Adrien's heart starts to act funny.

It was nearing the time for his fencing practices. Adrien could say for sure that he was nervous. Whoever this person was, they knew Reborn to some extent. It was frightening.  _I wonder where that baby went. Maybe he went back to Marinette's._ When the time came, he hurriedly dressed in the usual white suit with a mask. Adrien left the locker room and heard laughter. His head snapped up and he saw a tall man dressed in a black suit with shiny black dress shoes. He had a blue dress shirt under his jacket. A black tie with a golden pin on it.

He had a mature look to him. To Adrien's surprise, he was actually good-looking. Even with the scar on his chin that stood out. He had short black hair and his eyes were sharp but soft at the same time. The man was holding a wooden sword on his shoulder. He was seemed to be talking to someone. But Adrien's peers were surrounding him and blocking his view. Adrien made his way up to the circle of people and politely pushed his way through. He heard the man laugh along with small  _cute_ laughter. It reminded him of the small bells of Notre Dame. He saw a sliver of dark blue before he broke through the crowd. Standing in front of him was Marinette. She was smiling up at the man with stars in her eyes and a small blush on her cheeks. That expression looked familiar.

"Oh? So you're the one Reborn's also training?" the man asked, his voice heavily accented and deep but musical.

Marinette looked at him and he felt his breath get caught in his throat.  _What's wrong with me!?_ Realizing that the man had addressed him, he shook the feeling to answer [well tried to].

"Well…I wouldn't call it training. But you know Reborn?"

"Yeah! He was Tsuna's tutor!"

Adrien belched _._  Did he mean Tsunayoshi? His boss? How could such a cruel child teach a nice man?!  _No, maybe he meant a different person?_

"Wait…R-Reborn's t-t-training you!?" Marinette asked, her voice filled with worry and… _fear? Does she know how he 'trains' people?_

"Well, as I said, I don't really consider it training…"  _More like Torture._

He saw her place a hand over her mouth and look away. She seemed fearful. Her face pale. Maybe she had known how the infant trained people. His mind flashed the images from the last Akuma attack and he froze. The way she fought off the Akuma…maybe she was being trained by Reborn. That was the only explanation.

"So, I'm sure you know, I'm Yamamoto Takeshi or Takeshi Yamamoto. I'm your substitute for the day." his peers seemed excited, but he was just nervous.

Marinette quickly looked at the older male. Her face scrunched up in an irritated expression. "Takeshi! No! Don't tell me that Reborn's trying to pull him-them!-into this!?"  _Into what?_

"He might as well be. Reborn's set on training him. Of course, it's ultimately up to you, if he gets fully involved." Adrien wondered, confused.  _How could it be up to Marinette? What is she talking about?_  The questions filled his mind.

"Well then, I won't allow it!"

"Ok…but he still needs to be ready. Something has come up. It seems information  _had_  been leaked."

Marinette stilled and turned her gaze to the ground. He noticed her tremble. There was a sudden urge to go over and hug her. Comfort her in any way possible. Even if he didn't know what they meant. The taller male placed his hand on the designer's shoulder, leaned down, and whispered in her ear. He picked up fragments of the sentence.

"Later….-k….Tsuna…worried…"

The girl didn't respond but just nodded in acknowledgment. Takeshi smiled at her and winked. Adrien saw a blush flash on Marinette's face before she pouted. His eyes were drawn down to her pink lips. He wondered if they felt as soft as they looked-  _Wait!? What the hell am I thinking?! This is Marinette, not Ladybug! Get it together Adrien!_

"So! Let's get started! Adrien, You're up first!"

Marinette's protests went unheard as Adrien stepped forward. The others moved, to create space for him and the substitute. Placing his fencing helmet on, he got himself in his usual posture and held his foil up.

"Ooh! Fancy!" Takeshi laughed, startling him a bit.

_Who laughs at someone's form? This is just how-_

Before he could finish that train of thought, there was a blur and he felt a tap on the back of his helmet.  _How in the world!?_ Looking behind him, he saw Takeshi smiling down at him, his wooden sword lightly placed on his head.

"H-How-?"

"For starters, that posture leaves you wide open. Try this."

Adrien couldn't understand how fast the older male got behind him. He had considered himself light on his feet and a tad faster than some of his fellow fencers, since he was Chat Noir. But this man…. _Just what is he!?_

* * *

Marinette was fuming. She set it in her mind to find that baby/man and give him a piece of her mind.  _Do you have a death wish?_ A little doubt in her mind yelled at her. Challenging Reborn? That didn't go so well last time.

It was great to see Takeshi again though. Although a bit embarrassing as well. He was always her second favorite out of Tsuna's friends. The 1st being a quiet, handsome discipliner. She remembered her younger days. When Tsuna visited, he would bring at least two of his friends. And they would play games with her. The super embarrassing thing was…she used to crush on the older man as a child. He reminded her of a Prince. So sweet and kind. Always full of laughter. As a child, she would beg Tsuna and Takeshi to play a princess-type game with her. With a princess, prince, king, and dragon. Of course, she was the Princess, but Tsuna was always the King and Takeshi the Prince, who would save her from the evil dragon.

_-Flash Back-_

_"Don't worry, Hime-sama! I will save you!" Takeshi playfully shouted._

_He stood with his bamboo sword held up to the 'evil' dragon. The dragon was another man. He stood just as tall as Takeshi. His hair was white and shaped like an octopus. He had paper wings taped to his back. And a paper tail taped to his butt._

_"Why am I the fucking Dragon!?"_

_"Hayato! Language!" Tsuna scolded._

_"Gomen Juudiame!"_

_Marinette stood on a mini bar stool and pretended to be in a tall tower. A pink tiara placed on her head along with a frilly pink dress. It was fairly new._

_She laughed before beginning her act, "Oh no! Pwince Takeshee! Sawe me!" the little princess giggled._

_Prince Takeshi chuckled before leaping at the Evil Dragon. Said dragon threw fire at him in the form of weird candles. The Prince gracefully sliced the candles in half. His bamboo sword turned shiny and real._

_"Hayato! Takeshi! What did I say about using the weapons that way!" Tsuna scolded them._

_"Haha! Gomen Tsuna!" Takeshi laughed._

_Hayato grumbled but apologized and put his weird candles away. Marinette giggled before keeping up her act of being the damsel in distress. Luckily for her, her Prince 'defeated' the dragon. He walked over to her and scooped her up. They twirled around and laughed._

_"Yay! You sawe me! Now we can get Mawied!" the little princess giggled happily._

_Takeshi just laughed, while Tsuna and Hayato looked tired._

_-End-_

The secret heroine blushed at the memory and shook her head. She had a new prince nowadays. A prince who fit her perfectly. Who was perfect. She sighed. Watching Adrien and his peers go through the lesson. A large firm hand placed itself on her shoulder and she jumped. Her head snapped at the person and froze. A male with an eerily familiar black fedora and suit stood next to her. Her expression morphed to one of strong disdain.

"Reborn…" she groaned in irritation.

"Hello to you too, Dami-Mari. Come, We need to talk." He strolled away. Marinette rolled her eyes and stood up. Her legs moved and she found herself walking right behind him. She was too irritated to notice someone had seen her leave with Reborn.

Their footsteps echoed in the quiet halls as they drew away from the crowds. The tension was growing in the air as Marinette thought about what they needed to speak about. She feared that something may have happened.  _What if…Tsuna-_ She shook her head. No, that wasn't a possibility. She refused to believe that. They stopped walking and Reborn turned to face her. He wore an unreadable expression. But by the look in his eye, she could tell that whatever this was. It was serious.

"So…what is it that we need to talk about?" Marinette, feeling uneasy, questioned.

"There is a high-likely chance that you will become targeted." he bluntly stated.

"Targeted!?" the heroine freaked out.  _Targeted!? But how!? I didn't tell anyone!_

"The man you caught was given information by an unknown individual. They had pictures of you and Tsuna." the man answered her mental question. "So that's why we'll start gathering your guardians."

"Guardians?" she inquired.

"Yes. People who you trust more than anyone. They will stick by you and protect you and the Famiglia at all costs."

"But there's no one I know who would jump into battle…except…well." It was wrong to drag others into this Mafia world. It was her problem, not theirs. But still, many people came to her mind. Her parents, Alya, Chat… _Chat…I trust him with my life every day._

"Then Chat will be the first." the adult stated.

Marinette shook her head in disagreement, "No! I can't do that!"

"Dame-Mari, it's either this. Or Vongola relocates you and your family until we find the source," he informed her.

 _Relocate?_ "How long would that take?"

Reborn shrugged his shoulders. "Days…Months. Or even years. One can never be certain."

She couldn't just uproot her family and leave. What about her friends? Her dreams? Paris was her home! Her life! What about being Ladybug? Hadn't she sworn to protect her city? She couldn't just leave. But she didn't want to drag anyone else into this. Besides, who would protect her friends? What if those who found out came and did something to them? She didn't want to just leave them behind. She couldn't.

"I can't just leave. I have responsibilities here! Is there another way?" Reborn shook his head.

"No, this is necessary, for your safety. It's either this or relocation." he laid the bottom line out.

Marinette gritted her teeth before sighing, "I have no choice, do I?"

"You do, you just don't like the options."

"Because they're unfair! Anyone near me would be in danger! And I haven't even decided if I want to be a Mafia Boss!" she shouted rather loudly, which she soon came to regret.

"Marinette?"

* * *

Sitting on the bleachers, a boy in a red cap watched as Marinette was dragged away by a mysterious man. He seemed to be the only one to notice. Not knowing who this man was and fearing the worst for the girl, the boy got up from his seat and walked in the direction the duo went. He looked over his shoulder, making sure no one saw him and connected the dots. He continued on his way. The voices of them talking were getting louder as he drew closer.

He came upon them and noticed Marinette arguing with the grown man. The teen quickly hid behind the wall and listened in. What they were arguing about sounded extremely important. The man was tall and wore an expensive black suit. He had a yellow dress shirt with a black tie. Upon his head a was a black and yellow fedora. His gaze was cold and calculating. The oddest thing about him was the curly sideburns. It was…strange. Familiar even.  _Where have I seen him?_

The strange man crossed his arms and stared Marinette down. "Dame-Mari, it's either this. Or Vongola relocates you and your family until we find the source," he informed her.

The hidden teen nearly gasped out loud. Why would Vongola-the largest corporate chain-need to relocate Marinette? Could it even do that?  _How does she have ties to the company?_ He knew that Marinette's family owned a very successful bakery, but nothing about it said that I had ties to Vongola. It wasn't Vongola owned or even in partnership with it.  _What's going on?_

"How long is that going to take?"  _She's not seriously thinking of leaving. Is she?_

The man shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "Days…Months. Or even years. One can never be certain."

"I can't just leave. I have responsibilities here! Is there another way?"

The strange man shook his head. "No, this is necessary, for your safety. It's either this or relocation."

Marinette tensed up before her shoulder's sagged and she sighed, "I have no choice, do I?"

"You do, you just don't like the options," he stated.

"Because they're unfair! Anyone near me would be in danger! And I haven't decided if I want to be a  _Mafia Boss_!" she shouted and stomped her foot.

 _Mafia boss!? Marinette!?_ He felt his brain short circuit. He couldn't imagine sweet little Marinette being a big bag criminal. Shooting first and asking questions later. Dealing in drugs, people, and blackmail…it wasn't her scene. Or so he thought. Deciding to get to the bottom of things, the boy stepped out of his hiding place and revealed himself.

"Marinette?" he spoke out. The girl whipped around and stared at him. Her eyes dilated in horror. Her face went paler than a sheet of white copy paper.

"Nino!?"

The boy, Nino, just stared at her and the stranger. "You…You are a Mafia Boss?"

He saw her freeze. The girl stepped back and let out a nervous laugh, "Wh-what are you talking about Nino?"

Nino took a step forward and pointed an accusatory finger at her. "I heard you! You're a Mafia boss?! How come you didn't say anything?"

The girl's eyes flickered from side to side. Looking for a way out. "Nino! I…I'm not-"

"Not yet. She's training." the tall slender man interrupted.

"Reborn!...well yeah…I'm...a soon-to-be. But it's not like I want to! It's not exactly something you broadcast about. Plus too dangerous for anyone to get involved.." she hurried through her explanation/excuse.

"But…do-don't you trust us? Me?" the aspiring director and side DJ felt saddened.  _She can trust me not to say anything. I mean…seriously._

"I do! I'm just…..I'm scared I'll lose you guys because of this." the designer looked down at the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Nino couldn't help it. He broke into laughter. Shocking and confusing the designer. He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Lose us? You won't lose us, Marinette. Well, at the very least, not me!" he smiled at her. "You can trust me. I won't tell anyone about it. Besides, I don't want to die too soon." he joked. 

* * *

Marinette suddenly felt calmer when Nino placed his hand on her shoulder. It was like how Takeshi used to pet her head as a child to calm her down when she was too excited. Or if it was her bedtime.  _Nino._ The boy now knew her little secret. Well, second secret. The second most dangerous one-maybe border lining first? And he didn't run away in disgust or looked at her in fear. She had imagined how this would go down if someone found out. The hatred and how Vongola would be exposed which would cause her Uncle a lot of trouble. His words sounded so sincere, though. He made her feel a lot calmer than she was before. How he did it? She had no idea.

Reborn hummed, sounding extremely mischievous, "It seems like we've found our very first guardian."

"What?" Nino questioned.

Marinette groaned and placed her hands on her head, "Oh no! Reborn! Don't-"

Reborn cut her off and continued. "Nino Lahiffe, How would you like to be Marinette's Rain guardian?"

"What? I don't understand."

Before Marinette could stop Reborn, he interrupted her yet again. "The Rain Guardian is the one that washes the Sky's problems away. He must never run dry. So to speak."

"The Sky's?" Nino looked over at her before turning back to Reborn, "You mean Marinette?"

"Yes, she is the Guardian of the Sky and Heir to Vongola," Reborn explained.

A look of confusion passed over Nino's face. "Vongola?! The Company? But I thought she was a Mafia Boss?"

"Well-" the girl squeaked sheepishly.

"So what do you say?" Reborn purposely ignoring his question.

"Well…" he hesitated, "I don't mind. It sort of sounds cool, to be honest."

Marinette gasped, "Nino! You don't have to! It's too-"

"Dangerous? As many Akumas that happen around here, this will be nothing! Don't worry about it, Mari! I've got your back."

"I like the sound of that. Well then, here you go." Reborn let Leon crawl on his hand. Marinette's heart nearly stopped, until the reptile turned into a large jewelry box.  _Why would he need that?_ Reborn reached over and opened the box. Inside there was a set of 7 rings. They were sparkling silver and all had some sort of design. They were thick looking rings.  _Like those male rings, I saw in an ad once!_ They all had clear spheres over the gems. It was strange. The one in the center caught her eye. It was slightly smaller. More feminine. It had the word 'Vongola Undicesima' carved around the center of the ring. It had an orange gem in the middle with a faint image in it. It was a ladybug.

The hitman pulled out the ring she was staring at and another. The other was that same shape of the ring she stared at but larger. And carved into it were the words 'Rain Guardian' around a blue gem. There was a faint image of a raindrop in the gem.

"Hold out your hands." the tutor ordered.

Nino held out his hand and so did Marinette. Reborn smirked. Letting Leon turn back, he grabbed Marinette's outstretched left hand and slipped the orange ring on her middle finger. The action made her blush lightly before remembering that this was Reborn… _No need to blush over a sadist._ Now having a closer look, she saw a Roman numeral one on one side and a Roman numeral ten on the other side of the ring. Reborn suddenly turned her hand over and placed the other ring in her hand. She looked confused.

"What am I suppose to do with this?"

"Give it to your guardian, Dame-Mari." Reborn let go of her hand and reached for Leon, prepared to shoot her for asking a 'dumb question'.

 _Oh no!_ "Alright!" the heroine turned to Nino, who smirked at her. His hand still outstretched. Following the same actions Reborn did, she grabbed his hand, ready to slip the ring on. Blushing profusely.

"Wow Marinette, I didn't think you'd propose like this? I can't accept your feelings though, I have someone else in my heart now." Nino dramatically placed his hand on his heart.

Marinette laughed, feeling at ease again. "Oh you mean Alya?" she smirked at his blush.

"I-I uh…I don't know what you-"

"Don't even try to lie, Nino." the boy just pouted before blushing even more. Laughing, she slipped the ring on his middle finger and pulled away. Nino lifted his hand and inspected the ring. He smiled. "So I'm officially a guardian now?" he asked the  _crazy_ hitman.

Reborn smirked, "Yes and no. Those are just Temporary Vongola rings. For training purposes and to show who you are. You'll get the real rings during the Inheritance Ceremony."

"Inheritance Ceremony?" Marinette questioned.  _There's a ceremony? When will that be?_

"It'll happen a few years from now when you're ready to take on the Famiglia and the Company. There will be two."

"Oh." That sounded exhausting to hear. Two ceremonies. One for the underworld and the other for the public.

"Well, now that I know you're my boss. What should I call you? Ma'am? Boss?" he questioned with a grin.

"Just Marinette will be fine, Nino." Marinette laughed at Nino's silliness.

"But during meetings and other gatherings involving the Famiglia or the company, you will call her Undicesima." Reborn strictly stated.

Nino laughed before nodding his head, "Alright!"

"Also, Do  _NOT_  lose those rings. Don't take them off, if you have the tendency to lose things." The hitman ordered, receiving a nod from both teens. "And watch out for dangerous people. Like I was saying before, we have a  _slight_  situation."

* * *

Exhausted. That was the word Adrien would use to describe how he felt right now. They went for hours trying to land a hit on Takeshi. The other just kept smiling and teaching them-mostly Adrien-some pointers. Some things countered the things he was told during fencing. Others were just a distorted version of it. Most were completely different. Not to say he wasn't impressed by the Substitute. He was fast and skilled. Very skilled. But also super kind and patient. Really easy-going. It was just that he was too tired to go on any further. His eyes wandered to where Nino was and didn't see him there.

_Huh? Where did he go? I swore he was there a minute ago? Or was it 30 minutes ago?_

He remembered Marinette and looked to where she was last standing and didn't see her either. He wasn't surprised by her absence as much as Nino's. The boy sometimes waited for him to finish, so they could hang out.  _Maybe he had something else to do_.

Just then, out of the hall, came Nino and Marinette followed by a man who looked eerily similar to a crazy infant he knew _. Is that Reborn's Father?! Oh no! I lost him! What if he knows?!_ The man looked at him and smirked _._ A shiver ran down his spine ( _that's where he gets it)_ , He could tell that the man knew. Adrien tried to calm himself down and look casual as the three walked over to him.

"Takeshi, Let's give the victi-kids…the kids a break."  _He totally almost said, victims…_

"Reborn! Oh? Maa- Alright! Sorry guys! We'll continue this next time!" the others tried to look sad but Adrien could tell they were happy. The Asian man wasn't that easy on any of them.  _Wait…did he just call him Reborn!? What?_ Adrien watched Takeshi walked over to the trio and smile at Nino. "So you're the new addition?"

Nino's eyes widen and he looked over at Marinette. "Does he-?" she nodded and his mouth open in a silent "oh". The teen looked back up at him and saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Takeshi laughed carefree like before his expression became serious. "Protect her well."

Marinette blushed and pouted. Adrien found his eyes wondering to the puffed up lips. He realized his action and his face flushed. Quickly, he shook the strange thoughts that entered his mind.  _Marinette's just a friend._ A totally adorable, kind-hearted friend that was making him think weird. And that was it. Nino's salute fell and he stared blankly before smirking proudly. A serious gleam in his eye, something completely foreign to Adrien. He had never seen such a serious look in his friend's eyes.

"Of course. I won't let anything happen to her!" he proclaimed.

His best friend wrapped his arm around Marinette's shoulders and pulled her in. Rubbing his fist on her head as she laughed. That's when Adrien noticed it. The ring on his friend's hand. It was a bit large but seemed to fit him. It was silver and had a blue gem. He thought he saw something carved in it, but he couldn't read it from here. The gem had a clear cover over it. As if to protect it. Marinette shook her head and pushed Nino away. To his utter shock and surprise, she had a similar ring on. The only difference was the color. It was orange. He felt his stomach lurch at the color. That color brought warm, weird flames, and pain from his classmate. He wondered if Ladybug knew of the flames. She used hers once but she was fine. Maybe she knew and had practice with them.

 _Why do they have weird matching rings….wait don't tell me….I thought he liked Alya now!_ He felt that weird icky feeling in his chest again. Adrien strolled towards them, trying not to jump to conclusions. "Hey Nino, Hey Marinette."

They froze. Nino was the first to recover, he smiled and waved at him. Marinette took longer. She stared at him for a while before a blush covered her face. She stammered a greeting. Adrien just smiled at her.  _Cute…wait! What?!...well I guess she is. It's not weird thinking a FRIEND is cute._ He had no idea why he felt the need to emphasize 'friend' in his mind.

Deciding to change the subject, he asked about the rings. "So, where did you guys get those rings? They look pretty cool."

Adrien saw them both pale. Nino gulped before answering him. "It was….they are….a gift."

"A gift! Yes, a gift from my grandmother…" Marinette added in a hurry.

"Her grandma."

"Yep!" they answered in unison.

"Oh?" It wasn't hard to see that they were lying.

Why were they? That was what he wanted to find out.  _If Nino still likes Marinette, he should just say._ At the thought of the possibility that they were dating made his heart clench.  _I mean, friends have matching necklaces and bracelets. Why not rings? They're nothing different._ He reasoned with himself.

"So who's this?" he gestured to the man. He refused to think it was Reborn. It was crazy. Reborn was an infant, not a grown man.

"O-oh?! This…um…This is the Father of a kid I babysit! Ahaha Yes!" Marinette stuttered out. "Speaking of, my family told me you looked…after Reborn.

The man just smirked in response. Adrien thought he saw a flash of green on the adult's shoulder but shrugged it away. He put on his politest smile and reached his hand out to shake the others. "It's a pleasure to meet you Monsieur…" He trailed off.

"Renatus. Mr. Renatus." the man shook his hand.

"Monsieur Renatus." Adrien finished.

The man just smirked before pulling away. "Takeshi, you should go harder on this D-..young man. I'm sure he'll need it."  _What?!_

"Oh, he will need it." Takeshi nodded his head,

"Takeshi!" Marinette cried out in protest.

"Haha! Calm down, Mari-chan." Takeshi and Nino laughed while Marinette pouted. Adrien felt a tug at his heart again. He just smiled at the four. His thoughts drifted back to how the school was fixed and how he missed Ladybug.  _Damn it Reborn! If only I hadn't been too preoccupied._ The temperature dropped and the air became tense for some  _odd_  reason…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Classes for me will be starting on MONDAY!! and I can't sleep. RIP. Throughout my whole break, I either had an okay schedule or slept a lot. However, whenever I near the end of these breaks, I suddenly stay up until 8 am!


	10. Musings

Nino was still a little upset that Marinette hadn't said anything. But he could understand the reason. He would do the same. The mafia is a very dangerous world. That's why he was standing here by her side. Marinette was too sweet of a girl. She didn't deserve to be broken by the world. As the week progressed. Everyone saw changes. Nino stuck closer to Marinette than ever. Not ever leaving her side for one moment.

_"The Underground world knows she's a soon-to-be boss. People will come and try to hurt her. Not everyone is friends with Vongola."_

Reborn or Renatus, whichever he was, told him that she might be endangered. The thought of something happening to her made him feel sick. She was too good to be targeted by people like this. His mind was constantly plagued with thoughts and images of her being assassinated or murdered in front of him. To prevent anything from happening, he became what Kim dubbed him as "The Older Brother" or "Papa Nino". He couldn't help it! They wouldn't understand.

If anyone approached Marinette that he didn't know or knew well enough. He would "lowkey" scare them away. If she was going home, he'd offer to go with her. Some days he would sit next to her and watch the windows carefully. Never knowing who could be hiding on rooftops. He was her constant lunch mate, along with Alya and Adrien. Whom gave him strange looks the entire time. Even when Alya suggested they go out to eat, he would make sure that Marinette sat away from the windows. Even if that ruined Alya's schemes. Which he did receive punishment for…Something about interfering with Project Adrienette. But the point being, he was always by her side. Always Paranoid about her safety when she herself didn't seem to care.

Walking to class? With her

Trying to catch Inspiration in the park? With her

Running away from an Akuma? With-

Well,…that was the thing, she always seemed to be absent during one. Anywhere else, he had an eagle eye on her. She didn't make a move he had no clue about. It was during attacks that she disappeared. It drove him crazy trying to find her without getting in the superheroes way. He would, while every civilian was hiding, run about and look for her. This kept drawing attention to himself. The duo had to save him a couple of times because of that. He even tried asking people, but of course the villain always somehow saw him and he would accidentally get the civilians in danger. A feat he was sure he was disliked for. As if becoming The Bubbler was bad enough. It came to a point where Ladybug and Chat had to-personally-pull him aside to tell him to go hide and that Marinette was safe.

"I'm telling you! She could be in more trouble than we know!" Nino had begged. Flashing images of the fire Marinette produced on that one fateful day. Along with the deafening screams.

"She is fine! I checked on her myself." Ladybug tried to reassure him.

"Well then! Where is she?!" He had yelled in frustration. Something he wasn't really proud of. The supers were putting their lives on the line for their city. He probably sounded like a brat to them. Not that he cared at that moment.

"Calm down N- Kid! Like Ladybug says she's fine. Trust us!" Chat smiled at him.

_They don't understand! What if someone's using this time to hurt her! She's alone! I'm supposed to be a guardian! I can't even do my job correctly if she keeps leaving during times like this!_

Of course, Marinette would always show up with some half-ass excuse for where she was. Like that she was hiding at home. Even though that was the first place he checked. Or that she was hidden under a car. Even though the akuma was throwing cars like crazy. Or that she hid inside a restaurant. Or something ridiculous like that. Of course, He would flip his shit in the process, all the time. It came to a point to where he vowed to make sure she never left his sight during those attacks. However, as of now, he was at school and everything was safe and good. Other than the fact that Marinette hadn't arrived yet. It made him anxious. But he tried to stay positive. Today was the day that he would give Marinette 'some' space. Because of certain…rumors had painted their closeness in a different light.

"Hey man, you ok?" His best friend asked.

"Yeah! I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that…you've been sticking an awfully close to Marinette lately." Adrien spoke in worry, but there was a hint of something else.  _What was it? Bitterness?_

Nino sighed, "I'm just worried about her ya' know? I'm afraid if I take my eyes off her something will happen- Wait…where is she? It's been like 5 minutes. I would expect her to be here by now."

Adrien laughed before wrapping his arm around his shoulder. The model pointed and there was Marinette. Walking inside the school with Alya. He was about to rush over to her. Glad she was alive but worried. He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down. She's fine, see." the girl seemed content just laughing with Alya. "Nothing to be worried about."

He'd sadly let it slide, "Yeah…I guess so, but ya' know-"

"Adrikins!" Nino groaned at the sound of the irritating voice.

Chloé rushed over and glopped Adrien. She attacked him [tried to] with kisses. Alya and Marinette drew closer. Nino saw Chloé glare at Marinette and warning bells went off in his head. The blonde opened her mouth to make a snide remark but stopped.

Nino was glaring daggers at her. The temperature around them had dropped a little and he felt something rise in his throat. Something he would never expect. A growl. Nino Lahiffe growled! He Growled! At Chloé! The mayor's daughter. In hindsight, it was probably a bad idea, but right now he did not care. The girl was about to about to open her mouth and say something insulting, no doubt. So a growl was completely necessary. The brat flinched before pulling away from Adrien.

"Well…I have better things to do...Sabrina! My Homework!" and with that, the self-appointed queen bee left with her lackey in tow.

His model friend looked his way and laughed, "What was that?"

Feigning mock ignorance, he answered with a question. "What was what?"

"Did you just...growl, a minute ago?" Adrien playfully questioned.

"I….I think I did…" the guardian spoke in mock horror as a smile crept on his face.

It was probably going to get him in trouble later, but he felt a significant feeling of empowerment by growling at Chloé. It was strange. But it was for the greater good. That girl was always doing something to get under people's skin. He'd think that it was time for someone to give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Dude! What are you? A dog or something?" The model laughed.

"I might just be!" Nino laughed and imitated a dog's bark. "Besides, dogs are cool anyway. Tough and strong. Eternally cute."

"And dirty, stinky and annoying." the boy added.

Nino rose an eyebrow at his friend's obvious distaste. "Do you not like dogs?"

He shrugged. "I'm just…more of a cat person."

"Cats are lame! They just sit around and sleep." Nino grinned at Adrien's pout.

"You have officially been demoted from Best Friend to Friend." Adrien deadpanned causing Nino to  _howl_  in laughter.

"Oh! Woe is me!" The music lover draped his hand on his forehead while pretending to faint. His other hand, clutching his shirt over his heart. All dramatic like.

Adrien chuckled at his friend's silliness, causing Nino to grin. He remembered when Adrien first came to school. He fooled a whole lot with his fake smiles. It made him looked awfully lonely when Nino saw through them. A boy, used by his father to gain publicity, it is an awful thing. A boy who only had one friend and she was awful. The DJ was always glad to make him smile. He felt it was his duty to make the model have better memories. Washing the boy's problems away was what he did daily and he enjoyed every minute of it.

 _Speaking of duty…_ Nino glanced at Marinette. She stood by her locker with Alya. They were chatting non-stop. It would be rude to interrupt. No matter how worried he got. He still tried to give her some space. The not paranoid side of Nino felt that he was suffocating her sometimes, although he couldn't really help it. Someone might be after her. When your friend is in danger, you tend to stick close as possible to protect them. Well, if you care a lot about them that is.

"Are you sure you don't still have a crush on Marinette?" Adrien suddenly asked. He sounded pained for some odd reason.

"No. I'm crushing on…you know...I thought you knew that man." some rumors were going around about Nino and the designer being an item, it was another reason he was trying to give her space. He didn't want Alya getting the wrong idea.

"Are you sure? I mean…matching rings? Always sticking together?" He pointed out.  _Well, when he says it like that…it does look that way._

"These are….friendship rings. They symbolize our bond and the need to protect each other." He explained cryptically.

"How come we don't have friendship rings?" Adrien laughed lightly. It sounded pained.

"Well, you always have that ring on you. Where did you get that anyway?" Nino gestured to the silver ring on Adrien's finger.

Adrien snapped his hand over the ring and smiled sheepishly. "It was a present!...from my….my mother."

Knowing that his mother was a sour subject, Nino decided to change the direction of the conversation. "Oh….Well! Look at the time! It's almost time for class!"

* * *

Marinette was thankful that Nino was giving her some space. He had been clinging to her like a lost puppy.  _More like a guard dog._ She understood that he was worried, but she needed space just as much as the next person. The soon-to-be boss gazed down at her ring. It glimmered in the light. It was oddly perfect. Not to big, not too small. Just right. She wondered how the real rings would look. Would they be this pretty? Shiny as if they were new? Or dull from years of wear and tear?

_"We'll start gathering your guardians."_

Guardians.  _Who would they be?_ She hoped that Nino would be the only guardian she personally knew. He was a great friend. A great big brother type of figure, but the idea of him throwing himself in front of her in a battle or to protect her from some assassin seemed…too much. He had a life to live. He shouldn't live it protecting her. She was the one with the power to protect him. Being the hero Ladybug after all.

She found herself toying with the ring on many occasions. It distracted her but made her think about this Mafia business. Marinette sat in her usual seat. Waiting for the teacher to come in. Thankfully she was on time today. That was a rarity in itself. Marinette was too focused on her thoughts and the ring to notice Chloé stomp up to her desk.

"Damnit Marinette! When I'm talking, you listen to me!" Marinette just looked up with a surprised expression. Had the girl been talking? Chloé's snarl twisted into a devious smirk at her expression. "Ooh? What is this!?"

The spoiled girl grabbed her hand and looked at the ring. Marinette instantly clenched her fist. She was entrusted with this ring. Reborn would give her hell if it was taken from her by some spoiled brat. "Chloé..." she spoke through gritted teeth.

"What is this? A person as low as you shouldn't have something as expensive as this. Give it to me. It doesn't belong in your grubby hands." Everyone was staring. Nino wasn't there yet. He must be with Adrien.

"Chloé! Leave her Alone! It's hers!" Alya stood up and glared at the brat.

"Hers? With her family's budget? Ha! That's a good one."

"It's mine! So leave me alone." The secret heroine ripped her hand out of Chloé's grasp. Her hand had cuts from the blonde's nails. Marinette protectively placed her other hand over the ring. The designer glared her down.

The spoiled brat huffed and flipped her hair. "It's Vongola style. With your family's financial status, I can't imagine how you paid for it." she mocked gasped and placed a manicured hand over her mouth. "Could it be…you stole it? I guess I wouldn't put it passed you. Living in a dinky bakery for so long, I'm not surprised. What were you going to do? Sell it? Honestly, if your disgusting little family needed money that badly, you should've come begged to me. I would've graciously helped, for a price of course." the girl flipped her hair and smirked.

The young designer felt anger rise up in her. She stood up and slammed her hands on the desk. Glaring into Chloé's eyes, she spoke in a cold tone. "You can insult me all you want. But never…EVER insult my Family! I don't care who you think you are!" the girl growled.

Chloé flinched a little at the tone but came back with another smirk. "You should care who I am, little Marinette. I'm the mayor's daughter. M-A-Y-O-R. That means I outweigh you in importance. You're just a baker's daughter. Nothing more."

Marinette huffed in annoyance. She brushed the comment to the side. She knew her worth. Money did not make someone's worth. She was about to lay this life lesson down on her when a voice did so before her. "That doesn't mean much, Chloé!" A familiar pink haired classmate stood up. Alix. "You depend on your father's image and position to get things you want. You haven't done a single thing using your own power. 'Cause you've got none!"

"Yeah!" Kim stood up as well. "You're just a spoiled girl, who whines and picks on other people you deem 'lower than you'. It makes me sad to think I liked you." that last part was muttered.

"At...uh...At least Marinette has a heart, unlike you." Nathanael shakenly stood. Not liking the attention he got, but still wanted to say something in defense for his classmate(And crush…but that doesn't matter right now).

"Yeah. She didn't lock me in a bathroom stall because she couldn't get to stand by Adrien." Juleka stood up as well, speaking softly and monotone, but still getting her point across.

"She doesn't bully others for no reason." Rose stood next to Juleka.

Alya glared at the blonde. "She's more important than  _you_  will ever be."

Chloé took a step back. Surprised by all the glares her classmates gave her. Not wanting to look weak, she flipped her hair and glared at Marinette. "You did this. You little-" she huffed and glared at the rest of the class "My father will hear of this…Of all of this! So, don't think this is over!" She swiftly turned around and snapped for Sabrina. Sabrina gave an apologetic look to Marinette but didn't say a thing. Together they strutted out of the classroom, just as Nino and Adrien came walking in.

Nino glared at the blonde girl before looking at Marinette and seeing all the people standing. Marinette's heart fluttered. All her friends. All their kind words...It warmed her heart. She felt extremely loved. It brought joy to her heart. Her eyes teared up. Oh, how happy she felt.

Alya mistook the tears as tears of sadness and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Don't take her words to heart, Marinette. We all care a lot about you. Don't forget that." The girl smiled at her best friend. She always knew what to say and how to say it. Always shining brightly for her. Nino and Adrien walked up to their seats but didn't sit.

Looking up at Alya and Marinette, Adrien spoke, confused by the whole situation. "What happened?"

"Chloé." Alya seethed. The other's nodded in agreement.

Adrien gave Marinette an understanding look. While Nino, on the other hand, seemed to be studying her. His eyebrows furrowed. Without uttering a single word, the Dj walked up to her and grabbed her hand. Alya hitched her breath and Adrien stilled for a moment.

"Did she do this to you, Mari?" he asked, his voice cold and serious.

Marinette could only dumbly nodded, while everyone stared. "B-But it's nothing! Just some scratches."

"Scratches?! That's still serious. She could've done something." He gripped her hand.  _Does he…Does he think that she was trying to discreetly murder me or something?_

"I'm fine Nino." she gently stressed.

The Dj paused before sighing. "At least, let me take you to the Nurse to see." Seeing no way out of it, she nodded her head. Together the duo left. Marinette could feel the holes being burned into the back of her head by all the stares. She just kept her head down and followed. They walked in the halls down to the nurses. Silence and tension looming in the air. So thick it could be cut by a knife. Or a bullet.

Deciding now to try and break the ice, Marinette stopped walking. "Nino…I'm alright, really."

Nino stopped and looked at her. She returned his gaze and tried to convey that she was alright. After a moment of silence, the guardian sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry…I'm just….upset with myself. What kind of guardian-no friend would I be if I let you get hurt like that? I should've been there. I-"

Marinette placed her hand on his arm, stopping him from talking. She smiled warmly. "It's ok, Nino. I understand you're worried. But please…trust me. I can take care of myself. And besides, as mean and cruel as Chloé is, she would never try to kill me. She's a brat, not a killer."

"I guess…I was just worried. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have freaked out like that. Not cool of me."

The heroine laughed lightly before tugging on his sleeve. "We should head back, the teacher is probably there already."

The DJ nodded and smiled.  _Maybe this is what the Sky does? Calm her guardians-no friends down? He may be the rain that washes my problems away, but I'll be there when he needs it too._

* * *

Adrien had frozen when Nino grabbed Marinette's hand. There was a brief feeling of a knife that stabbing his chest when they walked away. Hands linked. Chloé had hurt Marinette again. This time not just with words but physically. Adrien was used to them quarreling. Except Marinette always had a comeback. Always won. But she had gotten hurt. Mentally and physically.

He had seen the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. He knew she was hurt, but he wasn't quick to act. Outdone by his best friend, he didn't realize how envious he was of Nino. To be able to talk freely with Marinette, without her stuttering or looking like she was sick.  _She probably hates me still._ It was the  _ONLY_  logical reason why she acted that way around him

_But not Chat Noir._

An idea popped in his head. If Adrien, couldn't talk to Marinette, then Chat could. She was a lot more comfortable around Chat. A little starstruck because she was his fan, but was able to speak. Under a guise of following up with civilians that he's helped, he planned to aid one of his first friends. He inwardly smirked. His plan set.


	11. Late Night Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Night could not come soon enough. Adrien was impatiently looking at the clock during his photoshoot. He got caught many times, receiving a shout from the photographer and a shake of the head from Natalie.

_Click_

_Flash_

It was taking forever. Granted it wasn't helping because he kept distracting himself _. Maybe I should try harder, so this shoot ends faster_? He tried making his smile bigger, puffing his chest out more, following the photographer's instructions better…etc. Even tried keeping his eyes off the clock. Which didn't work at all.  _At least Reborn isn't here…I wonder. Did he make it back to his father? Is he going back to wherever he came from? For good?_ Adrien smiled at the thought. No more training sessions. No more explosives or weird chameleons _. Which makes me think. Is he a miraculous user or something? I'll have to ask Plagg._

The kwami was currently snugged his bag. Eating stinky cheese, most-likely.  _How can he even stand to eat that? Is Ladybug's kwami like that too? Eating disgusting cheese all the time? Or am I just unlucky and got the one that likes cheese?_ His thoughts shifted to Ladybug. The apple to his eye. The woman of his dreams! She was everything…Everything to him. No one could compare to her beauty, grace, and intelligence. And no heart was as big as hers. It was upsetting how she didn't reciprocate his feelings. Always rejecting his advances. It didn't stop him from trying. He would just have to show her that he sincerely loved her.

_Maybe a confession on the Eiffel Tower at night? With Paris, all lit up? It would be romantic. Or maybe on the Notre Dame? When the soft bells ring. Or Maybe-_

"Let's take 5. Young Agreste seems to be out of it today." The photographer suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

The model apologetically smiled. He didn't mean to be unfocused. Thinking of his Lady just did that to him. He used this time to check his phone. Usually, Nino would send him a text or two by now.

Nothing.

No text, no phone call. Maybe a reminder for a worksheet for one of his classes, but that was it. He sighed. His friend was spending less time with him than usual.  _Did I do something wrong? Should I ask? Or is that too much? It's only been…a week or so? Maybe he's hanging out with Marinette._ He thought bitterly and mentally kicking himself for feeling that way. Nino can hang out with whoever he chooses. He's probably cheering Marinette up from whatever Chloé said to her.  _With a date most-likely._ Again, there was that uncomfortable tug his heart.

"Alright! Let's try this again!"

Groaning inwardly, the young model slipped his phone away.  _Here we go again._

* * *

Flopping on his bed in exhaustion, Adrien sighed and curled up. Ready to sleep the night away. He checked the time. 9:45. It was late. If he was lucky, she'd still be up. The thought of leaving his comfortable bed made him groan internally, but he did it anyway.

"Plagg…" he addressed the kwami.

"What?" the mini god glared at Adrien, upset that he interrupted his time with his  _beloved_ camembert.

"How do you feel about taking…a midnight stroll?"

"Are you going to see that one girl…What was her name? Marie?" the cat drooled, eating his cheese.

"Marinette." Adrien corrected.

"Ohh!" the kwami paused as if to think, "I feel awful about it." he deadpanned.

"Plagg! Please? She's my friend."

"Is she?" Plagg suddenly asked, making Adrien look at him in confusion.

"Of course!" he answered.

"Are you sure she's JUST your friend?"

"Of course! What else would she be?"

Plagg paused before sighing. He muttered before speaking aloud. "Uh-huh. Just checking." Plagg rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. This left Adrien to wonder what he must have been implying. A sudden thought came to mind and he shook his head.  _Nah, of course not. Plagg already knows how I feel about Ladybug._

Adrien shrugged his shoulders and called out, "Alright…Plagg! Transform me!"

Being Chat Noir can only be described as freeing. Very Freeing. No pressure of being the perfect model/son. Away from the coldness and loneliness of his house. Chinese, Fencing, Photoshoots? None of that out here. It was one of the things he liked-loved about being Chat. Now, as he bounced across the roofs of Paris, he liked it even more. It allowed him to talk to a friend, who he wasn't sure liked him that much. But he still cared about her.

As he landed on her terrace, he was struck with horror. On the way to her house, he had no dialogue prepared…none what so ever.  _Damnit!_ He could practically hear Plagg snickering. What could he say? What excuse would he make to see her?  _Should I just wing it?_

He stood there, thinking about what he should say before he heard a creak. Chat snapped his head up and looked at the trapdoor. There poking her head out was the very person he came for, Marinette. Deciding that winging it was his best option, he fell into his Chat persona.

"Princess! I nearly forgot that this was your tower. I did say I would visit more, no?"

The designer rolled her eyes and smiled. The smile instantly struck him as something off. It was something familiar to him. A big fake smile. "You did say that. But I recall saying that I would consider allowing you to stay."

"Are you kicking this cat out so soon? I can't handle being a stray." he watched as she climbed out of the hatch. He jumped onto the railing and sat down. His classmate walked towards him and leaned in the metal rail.

"Aren't you already?" she rose an eyebrow.

"I'll have you know I'm a classy domesticated cat."

She giggled and that made his heart soar. It seemed that the girl was upset. It brought him joy to see that familiar smile on her face. "Domesticated? Who domesticated you?"

Chat grinned and slapped a hand over his heart. "Why, My Lady Luck of course!"

She lightly shook her head. "She must have her hands full dealing with you."

"I lend a paw here and there." another giggle made him crack another smile.

"So what brings you here, house cat?"

"I just wanted to see if my Princess was ok. I haven't seen you since you were in the hospital."

That made her frown a bit. Marinette looked away. Her fingers wrapped around the strange ring and she twisted it around. A new nervous habit it seemed. She seemed to be contemplating something. Her mouth opened before she closed it. Finally, she seemed to have decided.

"Have….have you ever…do you think…" she sighed, "Do you question if you're ever good enough for something?"

He didn't miss a beat. "All the time." Marinette turned to him and looked up at him with a shocked expression.

"All the time?" she repeated him.

He nodded and stared out at the midnight sky. Just as it was many nights before and will always be. A vast empty night sky. Stars were outshined by the city in front of them. "I sometimes think that…Ladybug could do without me. Like she could save the day without me. I'm just the black cat that brings misfortune. While she…she is the world's Lucky Charm, so to speak."

"Chat…" Marinette suddenly spoke. Her tone reminded him of Ladybug whenever she was gentle around him. Taking in a breath, she carefully spoke. "You are needed just as much as Ladybug. You two are a team. She needs you just as much as you might need her. You may be the Black Cat but as far as I see it. You're Ladybug's lucky charm. Always saving her from an attack or recklessly taking a hit for her. Without you, Ladybug wouldn't have made it this far."

He grew silent at her words. They had pierced his heart and made his insides feel fuzzy and warm. He tried not to think about how it felt just like the moment he met Ladybug, "Marinette." He smiled _._ "Thank you. You always seem to know the right words to say."

She chuckled dryly, "Of course. That's what friends are for. To pick each other up whenever it's needed. To…wash away each other's problems." she seemed to be quoting something.

"Yeah. You're right. Now!" he clapped his hands and rubbed them together. His smile morphed into a sly smirk. "What is your dilemma?"

"Huh?"

"You've made me feel better. It's obvious I should return the favor. That  _is_  was friends are for."

The girl suddenly reverted to the same Marinette he knew at school. "Eh,.. um... W-What makes you think problem I-I'm sorry…that I have a problem?"

"Something is obviously weighing on your mind, Princess."

Marinette sighed, defeated. "I…I have this huge…HUGE responsibility on my shoulders. I'm not sure that I'm up for it." she confessed. "Like…it's not saving the world big like you, but it feels just as big to me."

"May I ask what it is?" he carefully pried.

"I can't….I can't really explain, but…it's a family business. I don't know if I'd be good for it. I might ruin it. Ruin all the hard work my…family has put into it." she stared at the sky. "I originally wanted to figure it out on my own, but I ended up dragging a close friend into it. I just…..I don't know what to do." Marinette twisted that ring around some more and sighed.

"Does it involve that ring?"

Adrien-Chat noticed her freeze at the mention of the ring she and Nino shared. It made his chest tighten.  _What could it be? She said it was a family business…so the bakery? But why would they give her AND Nino rings?_ He wanted to know almost as badly as he wanted to know who Ladybug was, but just like the latter, he knew it was best not to pry too much into these kinds of things. He sighed and placed a hand her shoulder. Frowning at how she froze up even more, before slowly relaxing.

"As cliché as this may be, I'd say follow what feels right to you. I don't know all the details but I can tell you for certain, whatever it is. I know you will be fantastic at it. I believe in you, trust me." He watched carefully. Waiting for anything. He wanted-needed to show her that he believes in her just as much as she does in him. Finally, a small smile crept on her face. She turned her gaze to him and his heart stopped for a second. He was once again greeted by those big bluebell eyes. He was sure he saw somewhere else before!

"Thank you, Chat." her voice was surprisingly soft.

_I've never noticed before but…she has such small and adorable freckles._

Chat wasn't remotely this close to Marinette as  _Adrien_.  _Adrien_  never got the chance to really see his classmate this close. It had taken an accidental fall for  _Adrien_ to notice the simple color of her eyes. He had to be Chat Noir to notice the small spots that were sprinkled on her face. He had to hold himself back from trying to make constellations with them.

"You're welcome, Princess." their eyes were locked on one another.

_Ah!_ There was that sudden drawing sensation again. As each minute ticked on the clock, he felt the urge pull at him even more. Like something was calling out him. Telling him to just come a little closer.

It was so similar to the pull that Ladybug gave him. It made him wonder what it was. How could these two make him want to gravitate towards them? With Ladybug he wrote it off as his love for her, but with Marinette-sweet and shy Marinette-it made him confused. She was making him feel it too. However, this was the strongest he ever felt it.

Her presence was pulling yet made him feel safe. It was like everything was in complete balance when he was close. It brought out his need to protect her. He couldn't imagine his life without her natural, loving atmosphere. He couldn't imagine her never sneaking in class late as usual. Never seeing her stand up to Chloé anymore. Her friendly smile she projected to everyone just gone one day? Adrien knew he wouldn't be able to take it. He was convinced that the world would be lost without her around. It would be like…a…a world without a sky.

There was a sudden loud knocking and he had to snap out of his daze. His eyes flickered to the trap door. No one was there, but it was open so, it could've been from the one inside her room. His eyes snapped up to the designer. He didn't even notice how close they had gotten. The cat pulled himself away and gave her a playful smirk. Trying to play off the moment.

"Well! That's my cue to go. Until next time…" he trailed off for added effect. Chat gave her a wink before carefully taking her hand in his. The sly cat pulled it up to his face. It was a lousy way to see the ring that delicately was placed on her middle finger, but it worked. He noticed the carvings right away. 'Vongola Undicesima'. The words were curled around the orange gem that held an image, A ladybug. He didn't know how ironic it really was. He leaned in for the kiss on the hand. Noting the roman numbers on the rings' sides _. I and an X…XI? Eleventh?_

He felt her freeze once his lips were placed against her soft hand. He slowly pulled back and looked down at the navy haired baker. A blush was painted on her cheeks. The sight made his chest swell up. Chat smirked before bouncing back and, regrettably, letting go of her hand. It had made his cold leather one feel warmer. He gave her his signature two-finger salute.

"Princess." he finished before expertly grabbing his baton from his back and extending it.

He saw her smile before she waved at him. "A thousand times good night, Minou." she quoted.

Chat smiled at the quote and bounded off her balcony. Successfully hopping away in the night, trying not to look back but failing. Just what was weighing so heavily on his petite classmate's shoulders?  _And what does Nino have to do with it?_


	12. Lost

Marinette couldn't stop her heart from pounding as she thought back to last night. She laid in her bed awake, early this morning. She was getting used to the time Reborn woke her. Not that she would admit to it. The secret hero's heart was drumming at the thought of how close the cat was last night. It made her think what would've happened if Tikki hadn't interrupted them. The sprite had knocked on her wall to get the cat to go away.  _Would we have—?_  Her face flushed and she smacked her hands to her cheeks. Closing her eyes in embarrassment, she shook her head. Trying to clear her thoughts.  _I can't think things like that! What about Adrien!?_

Too lost in her thought, did she notice the cruel ticking of what sounded to be a bomb… _WAIT, WHAT!_

_**BOOOM** _

_There goes that morning.  
_

"Reborn! Why do I have to do this!?" she cried as she sprinted around the school, her daily 'exercise'.

The now-baby didn't answer, just whipped her back with Leon. "Mush! Mush!"

"I'm not a horse! OW! OK!" She ran faster, trying to get away from the cruel baby.

This went on for a while, soon it was nearing time for her breakfast. Her mother kept giving her food after seeing how quickly she devoured her first plate. Luck was, ironically, still not on her side. Marinette had always liked strawberries. They were her favorites. If she was given a bowl of strawberry ice cream, she would take the strawberries out and eat them, then the ice-cream. It was just something she liked to do. So when her mother gave her a small plate of strawberries and cream, they 'mysteriously' disappeared before the girl had time to even grab one.  _No, not mysteriously, I know exactly where they went!_ She glared at the usual culprit. And there he was...snacking on  _her_  strawberries!

"Reborn! Those are mine," she growled at the baby.

"You were too slow, Dame-Mari." he simply smirked before hopping away, plate in hand. "More training is required."

Dame-Ma— _GRRR!_ —Marinette sprung from her seat, ready to chase the little hitman. But a mature, soft voice chimed out and stopped her in her tracks.

"Marinette, it's almost time for you to get ready. You don't want to be late." Sabine reminded her of the time.

The secret heroine gazed at the clock. Thankfully, It was still early. If she got ready now, then she wouldn't be late! For once! She turned her gaze to the  _cruel_ baby. He had devoured the strawberries, to her dismay. A smirk set proudly on his  _stupidly_ cute face. "This…is not over." she harshly whispered.

Reborn's smirk grew and he reached his hand up for Leon to crawl on. Seeing the threat, she raced up the stairs to her room faster than he could say 'ciaossu'.

When Marinette finally walked out of her parent's establishment, she had a small smile painted on her face. The morning was gorgeous. As it always is when you live in Paris around the end of spring. She stretched her arms above her head. Taking in the warm feel of the sun. She let out a pleasant sigh. She a good feeling about this day. The sun was shining, birds were singing. No Akuma was in sight. If she was lucky, she would even get to school on time.

Breathing in the fresh, spring air, she began her pace towards the school. A bright smile, as wide as the sky, set on her face. With each step, her midnight blue pigtails bounced and waved in the small yet soothing breeze. Cars and bikes whizzed by. People happily chatting as she went by. It made her think when the last time she actually walked to school.  _Probably in months._ She passed a newspaper stand. Ladybug on the cover as always. Walked by the park, where she always watched Adrien's photoshoots at. Skipped past a regular loving couple, who seem to be on a date.  _I hope one day…Adrien and I will be like that…_

Oh, how she could fantasize the day that Adrien Agreste would even ask her out. It would be the happiest day of her life _. Well second to the day we get married and have children—I'm getting ahead of myself_.

Marinette was blinded by her happy daze that she failed to notice someone shout at her and the sound of wheels rolling. Suddenly, the air in her lungs was pushed out momentarily. Time slowed as the pain pushed her back and made her fall. Her body landed on the hard, cold concrete. Her head had shot back, hitting it as well. The pain wasn't that intense…but  _damn it still hurts!_

It took a while before she pulled herself up. The heroine rubbed her head in pain, her items scattered on the floor. She had run into something—or someone. The teen raised her head, wincing a little, to see who—or what she ran into. There, on her bottom, was her pink haired, athletic classmate. Alix. The girl had her rollerblades on with her trusty black helmet keeping her wild pink hair down. Alix snapped her head up, her eyes shaped into a glare before it fell.

"Ah! Marinette! Are you ok?" the skater pulled her leg up into a kneeling position, placing her hands on her knees, before expertly shooting herself up to stand.

The designer smiled at her classmate, nodding her head. "Yeah! I'm sorry I ran into you. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." she confessed. She truly wasn't looking where she was going, too off in her happy place with Adrien to notice Aix speeding her way. She watched the other girl shake her head and smile.

"It's alright, I was kind of rollin' way to fast! I did try to yell out to you." Alix slowly rolled towards her fallen classmate.

"Oh? Did you? I'm sorry I was in my own little world. I didn't hear you..." she awkwardly chuckled. Alix extended her hand towards Marinette. Causing the fallen girl to pause and look at her classmate. The small smile on Alix's face encouraged her to take the outstretched hand. She took her hand and the skater pulled her up, letting go of her hand in favor of placing it on her shoulder when she started to wobble.

"Are you sure you're ok?" the girl tilted her head in concern.

"Y-Yeah! I'm fine! Just a little dizzy." Marinette reassured her.

"You want me to walk you…just to be sure?" Alix asked, worried.

"No, no! It's fine! Wouldn't want you to be late!" the girl hurriedly picked up her forgotten, scattered belongings. She straightened herself and gave Alix a big warm smile. Which fell when she saw a certain baby-tutor smirking behind Alix, a strawberry in hand. The fury from breakfast revived in her. "I'll see you at school, Alix!" she raced off after the baby. Revenge in mind.

_This might be his plan to make me 'exercise_ '. The logical part of her thought, but the anger kept her going after the baby. Nearing bulldozing over a few of her classmates, along the way. Like Juleka, who was walking with Rose. Or like Ivan and Maylene, the cute couple walking hand-in-hand. Or maybe like Nino, Alya, and Adrien.

She didn't see them, her eyes were solely on the baby. So much so, that she didn't even notice when the baby jumped up over someone. Only when she toppled onto the unfortunate thing did she realized she ran into another person.  _Again._

Her face was pressed against a soft black fabric. That looked strangely familiar. She decided not to try to remember since her head was throbbing a little from the impact. She shifted, trying to pull herself up. But, in an effort to move her legs, she found them tangled. Unknowingly, she grabbed the black fabric, noting the oddly familiar feel of it, to push herself up.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I wasn't looking where I was—Eek!"

Her apology was silenced by a squeak, once she saw who she landed on. A perfect mop of blond hair with matching grassy eyes. The white overshirt that was over the familiar black shirt she had been gripping.  _Oh god! Why does this always happen to me!?_ She couldn't decide if it was her luckiest day or if Chat Noir had finally been able to rub his unfortunate luck on her.

"A-A-ADRIEN!? I—Uh… _I'msorry_!" she leaped off him like she was crawling on hot rocks. She was sure that her face looked like one.

The model lifted himself up, scratching his head. Her mouth moved on its own. Blubbering apologies and stammering each word. Her face looked like it could light a thousand fireworks, it was that burning hot. Her hands flew to her face as if trying to keep her head from exploding off. An action which she suddenly stiffed at, halting her words.

_Wait a minute….where_ —

* * *

Adrien watched as Marinette face flush and her stammer out apologies. The reaction, made him wish that she hadn't noticed it was him she ran into. She had talked normally when she didn't see that it was him she fell on. However, once she saw it was him, she stuttered and her face got all red. Where was the confident and fiery Marinette that showed herself around everyone else? It saddened him that she couldn't be like that around him.

The blonde tried to think back to see if he offended her in any way. The only thing he could think of was when he first came to school. But he thought he had mended that incident with giving her the umbrella. Unless she held a secret grudge against him.  _Marinette isn't the type to hold such things over someone._ So what was it? Was she scared of him? If so, why? Was it his father? She is an aspiring fashion designer. And his dad is intimidating. Maybe that was it.

He picked himself up as her blubbering intensified, only for it to come to a screeching halt. Confused, he looked at her and his heart jumped. That panic. That sheer panic and fear were on her face. Again. Her face pale. It looked too like the scene he saw last time. He feared that fire was going to sprout and she would start screaming.

That's when he noticed it.

"Marinette." Nino suddenly spoke, his tone serious, "Where is your ring?"

* * *

_How could this have happened!? Where did it go!?_

Marinette stared at her hand in horror. She had briefly hopped she was just imagining the ring not there. But when Nino called it out, her brain stopped working. The serious reminder of not to lose the ring rang in her ears. How could she have lost it? So easily? Maybe she forgot to put it on this morning?  _No, I had it on during breakfast, I didn't even take it off._ Maybe she left it in her purse.  _No, Tikki would've told me._ Maybe she dropped it.  _No, I—Wait! That encounter with Alix! Maybe it fell off there._

Thoughts ran amuck in her mind as she played the scene over and over. She knew that the ring was pretty. Hell, gorgeous even. It was also very expensive looking. She guessed that it could sell for thousands. Maybe even millions since it was Vongola made. That was a bad case scenario. The worst would be if an enemy Mafia found it. She was apparently found out by  _someone_. Although, the suspicious thing was that the word hadn't spread. She expected papers with headlines reading: "Next Vongola Heir!". She guessed that was proof that Vongola really did run a lot of things.

_Still…if one person found out and was willing to sell the secret away…who else knew?_ She feared that maybe…she was being watched.  _They're probably spying on me until they find the best time to strike!_ Taking her ring would disrupt everything she was doing. A perfect time to strike, no?!  _Oh, no…they're gonna come after me! Then I'll be killed, my family and friends will mourn. Paris would be without Ladybug. Chat would be upset. And I'll never get married, have three kids, and a hamster with ADRIEN!_

A hand gripped her shoulder, snapping her out of her panic thoughts. Bluebell eyes wondered to the hand, then up to its owner, seeing grassy green eyes. Filled with  _awfully_ familiar determination. "Don't worry Marinette. I'll help look for it." Adrien reassured her. His voice was soothing.

"Yeah! I don't know how important it is but," Alya voiced out, her eyes glanced at Nino, before landing back on Marinette. "I'll help you find it!"

"I'll definitely look for it." Nino smiled. She felt herself begin to calm down.

Marinette felt her spirits lift. Her friends, her precious friends. Oh, how great were they? She had already known Nino and Alya would help her, but Adrien as well? Her heart swelled. "Thank you, you guys." she felt tears prickle at the ends of her eyes. "But…I wouldn't want you to be late for class."

"If that ring is important to you, then it's worth missing morning classes for it." Adrien smiled at her. Oh, how her heart could burst from sheer kindness.

"Well then! Where was the last place you saw it?" Nino and Alya asked in sync. They looked at each other, a faint blush on their cheeks before looking away.

_How cute!_ Marinette told them of her suspicions—minus the Mafia part, although she could tell Nino was thinking the same thing by the way his expression became serious. The bell rang and the four of them were off with Marinette leading the way. They ran all the way to the spot she fell and searched. They checked the grass, the sidewalk, the stands nearby, and even underneath the various parked cars. They found coins and bugs-mostly bugs. They did find a ring. But it wasn't the right one and turned out to be some lady's engagement ring. When they asked the lady about a Vongola made ring, she plainly told them that if such a ring fell here, it was gone.

That greatly lowered the moral of the search party. But, the fear of angering Reborn kept Marinette going. But, she had no idea where else to look. She could go back and retrace her steps from home. But…she was 100% certain she had it on when she left that morning.

"Maybe it fell off on the way to school. You were running fast." Adrien reminded her. Making her blush, remembering her epic fall. Following her directions on how she ran to school, they searched the sidewalks. Nothing. The gutters. Not there. Even the park. Nowhere in sight. They asked more people. This time showing Nino's ring as an example. It was a pretty bad idea. Who knew who those people were? Of course, it's not like Adrien and Alya knew of the Mafia. And she couldn't tell them why it was such a bad idea because of it. So Marinette let it slide, silently praying that they didn't run into the wrong people.

Sadly, no one saw it. Marinette felt her hopes diminishing.  _How could I've lost it!?_ She bit her bottom lip, to hold in her frustrated tears. Reborn had entrusted her with it and now it was gone. She could save the day and make everything okay, but she couldn't keep an eye on an important ring? She always knew that she was unlucky, but having the universe remind her every day was a little tiring. Her fingers rubbed over her bare middle finger. The habit of rubbing her ring when she was stressed just made her more upset. As silly as it was, that ring made her feel closer to her Uncle. It had a warm presence that was almost as soothing as him. Hell, it even felt lucky with that Ladybug on it. Where was the so-called Ladybug luck, if she had lost it so easily?

Trudging back to school, her friends tried to cheer her up. Alya was trying to be on the positive side. Adrien kept reassuring her that they would find it. Nino was comforting as well. She even tried to calm herself down, fearing the likeliness of her getting akumatized. Would she? That's not a question she wanted to find the answer to. But in all honesty, it wasn't enough.

"Mari-chan!" a voice rang out. She looked up and saw Takashi, smiling as always with his bamboo sword. She felt sick.  _He's going to be so disappointed._ If she felt like this towards Takashi, imagine Tsuna…or Reborn. Takashi's smile fell and he glided up to them. "Is everything ok?"

Before Marinette could deny, Nino beat her to the punch. "No, Marinette has lost her ring."

"Oh…I see." Takashi looked at her.

Tears pooled over and blurred her vision, she kept trying to hold them back. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to lose it! It must've fallen! I-I-" her voice cracked and a soft sob tore from her throat.

She looked down, unable to face him. Sniffling softly. There a moment of silence before she felt a hand weigh on her head. Blinking in surprise, the teen raised her head to find the swordsman smiling at her and patting her head. She felt her worry, fear, and sadness wash away with ease. Takashi had the incredible ability to calm her down with just simple gestures. It was amazing. "Don't worry, Mari-chan. I have a good feeling that you'll find it very soon."

That confused her. "How can you be sure?"

"Trust me." he grinned and looked at the others, "Maa! Maa! Well, It's lunchtime. I suggest you guys take a break. I'm sure it'll turn up. Be careful! Oh and Agreste-kun, don't be late for practice. Ciao!" Marinette watched as he left. The calmness, the tranquility, still with her. It made her wonder, how he could do that? She thought back to the flames.  _Tsuna had said that one of them had the ability of tranquility. Which one was it again? Storm? No. Cloud? Not that. Sun? No that was activation._

_"Rain has the ability of Tranquility. The flames can sooth anything. Like they, wash away the problems peacefully, unlike the Storm which blows them out of the water…literally."_

_Rain!_ That was it. Rain Flames. Did that mean Takashi had them?

* * *

When the swordsman raised a hand to Marinette's head and pet her, Adrien nearly did a double take. It was slow yet it only lasts a minute. In that minute, Adrien swore he saw a blue glow coming from the man's hand. His mind wondered to the flames Reborn mentioned.

_"Rain, blue;… "_

_Does this guy know about the flames?_

There was a probability that he knew of them. If he knew Reborn then maybe. Now that he thought about it. It made him wonder about the mystical life-flames abilities.  _What does the rain flame do anyway?_ If Takashi did have it and he wasn't just hallucinating, then what could it do? It didn't seem to do anything to him. The word flame was just really another word for fire, which is hot and destructive.  _But the orange fire was warm and only destroyed two things. The footballs._ If he just witnessed a blue flame, Rain, then what had it done?

"Monsieur Yamamoto is right." Adrien broke the silence. "It'll turn up, for now, we should go to lunch."

"Yeah! And besides, I am hungry as—"

"Ah! Marinette!" a shout came from nowhere, successfully cutting Nino off. The petite designer, Adrien, and their friends turned towards the source. They saw Alix walking down the stairs towards them. Her signature black hat on her head, facing backward. Her hand was clenched and she waved it in the air. When she finally got close, she smiled at Marinette. "Hey, I've been looking all over for you." She stated.

Marinette tilted her head, "What? Why? Did Chloé do something again?"

"Knowing that girl," Alya put her hand to her forehead, "I wouldn't be surprised."

"Neither would I." Nino laughed.

The trio laughed. Before Alix shook her head, "Nah, she didn't do anything...yet. But I have some for you." Without letting Marinette answer, the girl held out her clench hand and carefully opened it. They all gasped at the sight. In her hand was the lost ring. Still shining brightly.

"Where—" Marinette started.

"After you ran into me, you dropped it. I was trying to call out to you, but you were running like you had an Akuma on your heels." Alix explained. Adrien heard the designer let out a nervous chuckle that made him smile. Takashi was right. It would turn up soon. Suddenly, without question, Marinette leaped at Alix and hugged the skater. Alix let out a mini shout of surprise before smiling again.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Marinette continued shouting Thank you's' over and over.

It made Adrien wonder. Would she have hugged him like that in thankfulness if he had found it?  _Knowing how she acts around me, probably not._ The only hug he ever got from the designer wasn't even a hug. Actually, he never got one from her, just him hugging her. At least twice to save her life. Alya and Nino looked pretty happy at the new development as well. They had soft smiles on their faces. When she finally released Alix, the designer looks at her ring, before gently slipping it onto her finger.

"It seems pretty important to you," Alix commented.

"It is..it was entrusted to me by a family member. I would have gotten in a lot of trouble if it was gone...Reborn would have my head." She mumbled the last part low enough for them not to hear, but his hearing allowed him to hear.  _So the baby has something to do with their matching rings. But why?_  The more Adrien thought about it, the more questions he had.  _Like what do those carvings in her ring mean? And what does Vongola have to do with it? It was carved in the ring. Maybe they made it?_ One thing was for certain, whatever she and Nino are involved with Reborn knows about it.

_Now to find that baby._

* * *

It was a great morning. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, the aloof clouds drifted in the sky. It was the makings of a great day. So far, there had been no Akuma attacks this week. It would be perfect to just go out and walk to school.

_Or skate!_

Rushing down the stairs of her home, the skater, hurriedly threw on her equipment. She soon came to a screeching halt in front of her favorite black and green skates. The skater reached down to put them on; however, something shone in the dull skates.  _Weird._ The girl lifted the left skate and peered inside. The light from the ceiling lights made the object shine brighter. Curious, the girl tilted the skate over and out the item fell. It clanked onto the hardwood floor before rolling to a stop. She looked away from the skate and down at the object. To her surprise, it was a ring with a folded piece of paper tied to it with a red ribbon.  _But, I thought I gave Marinette her ring yesterday? What's this doing here?_

Placing the skate back on the ground, she kneeled down and grabbed the ring. She examined it closely. It had a ruby stone in the center with the words 'Storm Guardian' curled around it in the silver medal. There was a faint tornado like shape in the gem. It was beautiful and expensive.  _Very expensive. Is that real?_ Her blue eyes wondered to the paper tied around it. Carefully, she undid the ribbon and unfolded the paper. She scanned the paper and could not believe her eyes.

_Dear Ms. Alix Kubdel,_

_Have this. You'll need it._

_-Vongola Tutor_

_What? Maybe it's from Marinette? It looks like her and Nino's ring. Maybe I'll ask them about it._ She slipped the ring carefully on her finger. Who knows how much debt it would put her in if it broke. Alix planned to speak to the two she knew about the ring. It was cool but expensive. It made her wonder who this Vongola Tutor was and why he gave her this ring that was nearly identical to Marinette and Nino.

* * *

_**DING DONG!** _

Lunch! The perfect time to ask the two rumored 'lovebirds' about the ring she now possessed. Alix abruptly sprung up from her seat, ignoring Kim's everyday challenges. Even if it did infuriate her. He knew she was good, why push it? She briskly walked down to the designer's desk, placing a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from leaving.

"Hey, Marinette…Can I talk to you…and Nino?" She asked, as she made eye contact with Nino, who was staring at her hand in surprise.

"Uh-" her Class President looked at Alya, who gave an understanding nod, then back at her. "Sure."

Alix caught Adrien's eye. He was staring in suspicion before looking back at Nino, who was just staring at her. "I'll catch up with ya, dude." Nino quickly said to Adrien. The model seemed to want to say something but decided against it. He just nodded before leaving with Alya. The trio stood there, waiting until the other stragglers left. When the last person left—Nathaniel—they began talking.

Before she could speak, "Where did you get that ring?" Nino interrogated.

"That's what I was going to ask you two about. I found it in my skates this morning, along with this." She reached in her pants pocket and pulled out the folded paper, handing it to Marinette. The girl carefully grabbed it, unfolded it, and read the words on the paper. Suddenly, after a minute, she groaned.

"Ugh! Reborn! I told him not to drag any more people into this!"

"Drag into what?"

Nino looked hesitant. Marinette stopped talking, looking fearful. They made eye contact. Seeming to communicate on something. It was serious and heated. Marinette looked angry while Nino looked reasonable. Alix waited for them to come to a conclusion. No matter what they would say, she knew something was going on here.

Suddenly Marinette's frown increased and she sighed. "Fine. You do it. I can't bear to."

Nino nodded his head, looking back at Alix. "Can you keep a secret?"

The question shocked her,  _Of course, I can, who do they think I am? Chloé?_ "Of course."

The DJ sighed before began talking, his voice in a hush-hush tone, "Ok, good. I—We need to know if we can trust you. This is some important information. No one must know. It was an accident that I found out, but since It seems that, that one guy—what's his name again?"

"Reborn," Marinette answered her head down to the ground, rubbing her ring.

"Reborn. Since he has given you that ring, it can only mean that he sees you as fit to become Marinette's Guardian."

"Guardian? No offense Mari, but I don't babysit."

The girl let out a nervous laugh, while Nino chuckled, "No I mean, her guardian. Someone who protects her from…bad things, because….you see…" He trailed off looking at Marinette for confirmation.

Marinette let out a sigh, "I am…apparently a soon-to-be Mafia Boss." she seemed to pale at the words coming out of her own mouth.

"You can't be serious." Alix deadpanned.

"We're not joking, Alix. We—I have to know if I can trust you with this. It top, TOP secret information, if someone—an enemy finds out…." she trailed off. Alix understood the unsaid message.  _People she knew would be in danger or worst_. "Look, I know if you don't want it, you can just give me the ring. I'm sure we can find someone else. There is really no need for you to—" the girl babbled.

"No." The duo looked at her in surprise. "I'll do it. You need someone right? I can do it. I've always wanted to do something worth my while in life. Skating is fun and great, but this…this sounds cool!" The two looked at her in disbelief. Alix grinned, "Hey! Don't give me that face! I know it's dangerous, but I'm up for it!"

Marinette's eyes teared up and Alix nearly panicked, until the girl broke out into a smile. "What is with you guys? Taking on something like this? Just for me? I-I don't know…what I did to make you want to do this."

Nino suddenly exclaimed, "It's because we're your friends. You've done so much for us. It's time for us to return the favor." Alix couldn't help but agree. The girl was an angel sent from heaven. Sure, she tripped down the stairs a lot and babbled, but she was a sweet and strong-willed girl. She stood up to Chloé on regular bases, when everyone said nothing because they feared the brat's father. She had no evil bone in her body.

"Nino's right. You stand up to a bully 24/7 for your friends. You're sweet and caring. We may not be as well acquainted, but if I had to choose anyone to body-guard or protect. It would be you."

Marinette smiled even brighter, "You guys…" she trailed off, giving them unsaid thanks.

Alix and Nino grinned at the girl. "So," The skater started, "my ring says Storm Guardian. Is that like my title?"

"Yes," a deep male voice responded.

"Reborn!" Marinette whipped around and faced a tall, sly looking man.

He had twin curls sticking from under his black fedora. A green chameleon rested on his right shoulder. It was covered in a black jacket with a yellow dress shirt. He had his hands in his black dress pants pockets. He looked intimidating and painfully professional. "Chaos, Dame-Mari, Nino, and Alix." he addressed them.

"How do you know my name?" the skater asked with a suspicious glare.

"I do my research. Besides, you're Dame-Mari's new Guardian, The Storm Guardian. The one that blows everything away."  _Blows everything away? That sounds interesting._ "It is indeed." the man—Reborn suddenly said, shocking her a bit. "This is great development Dame-Mari. Two guardians this fast. And it's the Storm and Rain. Just like Dame-Tsuna when he was looking for his."

"It makes me wonder who's next." Nino smiled.

"How many are there suppose to be?" Alix asked.

"No counting Dame-Mari, there are 6…or 7, depending on how things go." Reborn vague answered.

"But I thought there were only 7 fl—" Marinette was interrupted.

"I suggest you three run along. Lunch is nearly over." The trio looked at each other before nodding. They silently made their way to the classroom door. "Oh, and before I forget." he stopped them. "look out for any odd people. Someone found Marinette out. We aren't sure how much they know, but if word spreads..." the man warned them. His tone harsh and sharp.

"Don't worry. If anyone even thinks about touching her, I'll kick their ass to the moon and back." the skater girl smirked.


	13. Lies

Something had happened.

That's the only reason why the skater girl now clung close to Marinette. Something happened and it had to involve those rings. Adrien noticed the strange behavior, right away. When Marinette came to the lunchroom with Alix and Nino. He could tell that something had happened. When Chloé tried to make her daily routine of trying to bully Marinette, the skater girl nearly ripped her head off. Even Kim was intimidated. Not that he would confess to something like that.

They made their way to where he and Alya sat. And in the glimmer of the light is when he saw it. The rings. Instead of the usual suspects, Nino and Marinette, it was Alix who had one. From his view, he could see the ruby gem in the center that was circled by a carving of letters. There was a faint image in the gem but he couldn't make out what it was.

_So now Alix is involved?_

The teen model couldn't help but get even more curious. He could try confronting them about it.

"So, what's with the new ring, Alix?" Alya asked, in interrogation mode, and successfully beating him to the punch.

The trio was startled. They barely glanced at each other before Marinette started to stutter. "it was a gift! From my grandfather!" Alix quickly answered before Marinette could say anything.

Alya gave them an unconvinced look. Of course, she wouldn't believe them that easily. It was obvious they were lying, but for what reason? The teen model couldn't help but get even more curious.  _Just what are they hiding? Marinette said it was about the 'family business' so the bakery? But why—_

"You think I believe that?" Alya raised an eyebrow. "You guys have nearly the same rings."

The three were visibly sweating. Marinette let out a nervous laugh. "They just shop at the same jewelry store!"

"Marinette." Alya started, her voice dangerously low. "What store….sells THOSE?!"

"A…uh…a Vongola jewelry store!"

"A—WHAT?! DO you…do you know how expensive Vongola products are?! Those rings must've cost a fortune!"

"Discount." the trio answered in sync.

Adrien and Alya shared a look. They were most definitely not buying it. Maybe Chat should make a little visit again. He felt determined to find out what was going on.

"Oh ho ho ho! Look at the time—" Nino was interrupted by Alya.

"Oh no, you don't! You three are going to tell me what is with those matching rings. You didn't join something dangerous. Did you Marinette?" Alya interrogated, her phone out and ready.

For a moment, Adrien saw Marinette flinch and freeze at the word dangerous. _Dangerous?_  The girl looked at her companions before her eyes returned to the waiting journalist. "No, I'm not in anything dangerous. Just—We." she sighed, "The truth is…" Nino and Alix straightened up and tensed. Adrien sat in anticipation. Were they really going to tell them? Just what was it? And is it dangerous? "The truth is…we…we are involved in…in a special...yearlong trial! You see, one of my family members works for the marketing in Vongola! He gave me these rings and he doesn't know what people would think of them. They are the newest product. He wants me to wear it and give him feedback on any changes I personally would make! But you can't tell anyone! It's a secret." Marinette explained.

Nino and Alix visibly relaxed and nodded their heads in agreement. The explanation seemed solid. It seemed perfectly reasonable! That is what she meant by family business! She was talking about her family member! So…did she not think she would be up for the opportunity?

Alya sat there with her hand on her chin. The petite designer smiled at her best friend. Adrien's small fear that his classmate had been in something dangerous diminished. It was so logical and made so much sense. The model saw no means to search further. Even if he still had this itchy feeling. The reporter broke out into a smile and squealed. "It makes perfect sense! For a second I thought you were into trouble! You should've told me sooner!"

"Yeah, sorry." Marinette's shoulders relaxed.

Adrien heard Plagg snicker in his overshirt. He discreetly tapped the shirt to stop the kwami. Now was not the best time to reveal himself. That he was saving for the day Ladybug finally wanted to know who he was. And in return her giving her identity. Oh, how he could dream of the moment. Well—to be honest—he did. Many times. Although, it was mostly her reaction to him. He never could think about what she looked like without the mask.

"Well, that's pretty cool!" Adrien smiled at them.

Marinette's face turned scarlet red and her eyes widen. "Y-yeah! I-I uh…guess I so...No! I mean...So guessed I!...Ah! I mean...uh...Iguessso!" he smiled at her.

And there she was again. Stuttering like normal. It never ceased to confuse him how she could effortlessly stand up to Chloé. Speak confidently to their other classmates but when it came to him. She clammed up and any word she spoke was either flipped or rushed.  _Is she…is she…intimidated by me? Do I…scare her?_  The thought horrified him. Had he unintentionally scared the poor girl? Did she fear him? If so, that needed to change. The thought that his sweet classmate could be terrified of him…terrified him. He didn't want to girl to be scared of him. There was honestly no reason to. Not to toot his own horn, but he considered himself a very polite and kind person to all. Even Chloé—regrettably.

_Maybe I just need to show her that I'm not all that scary! I'm just a normal teenage boy…that is secretly a superhero! Totally normal._

* * *

It worked.

The lie worked.

How? She didn't know nor care! It made her feel awful about lying to Alya and the boy she loved, but it was for their safety. Marinette silently vowed that NO ONE else would find out about her connection to the Mafia or Vongola, other than what they already know. The only ones who needed to know where her guardians. She debated whether telling her mother and father, but brushed that aside. She already kept one secret from them.  _Another wouldn't hurt. I just need to keep this under wraps for as long as possible. If someone finds out now…_ She shook those thoughts away, receiving odd looks from her guardians. The designer just smiled at them. Reassuring them that she was OK. Sliding back into her usual routine, Marinette listened as Alya ranted about Ladybug. She did her usual admiring Adrien before the bell finally rang.

She and Nino had to split ways this time. Although, he and Alix did walk her and Alya to her next class. Had this been a couple days ago, Nino would've probably been fretting over her. Thankfully, Alix was in the same class as she and Alya. So he looked calmer now.

_Oh, how I hate physics._

* * *

Sitting at her desk, Marinette stared at the pictures of her love on the wall. She sighed. Oh, how she wished the boy would notice her. She longed for his grassy green eyes to look at her. Not look just at her, but LOOK at her. See her as she saw him. She knew that if she tried harder. Got more opportunities and got over her ridiculous stutter, then maybe…he would fall for her too! Marinette sighed in happiness at the idea. Luckily, Reborn seemed to be off somewhere. Most-likely planning something yet again.

"Marinette." the ladybug sprite chirped, gaining her attention.

"Yes, Tikki?"

"Don't you think it's time for…I don't know…patrol?" What? But…OH!

"Oh no! I was so sidetracked I forgot!"

The kwami giggled at her overreaction before twirling around. "Just say the magic words!"

Marinette smiled at her companion. Tikki was really something. She was patient and kind. Always knew what to say. She was like a second mother to her. The designer stared at her small friend. She took this time to appreciate the little god. She was really someone she could count on. Hell, if she was human she might have been a great guardian to have.

"Tikki! Transform Me!" she chimed the magical words.

Feeling the suit cover her once again and the mask slide on her face, made her feel confident. Not confident enough to talk to Adrien normally, but confident enough to swing through the night sky with only the thread of a yo-yo. She climbed out of her trapdoor and swung off her terrace. She let her eyes sweep the city. Every nook and cranny was looked at as she made her way to the location she and Chat usually met, Notre-Dame. Luck was with her when she didn't see any activity. No Akuma and no criminals out and about tonight.

_Well except me. Ms. Soon-to-be-Mafia-Boss_. She shook that thought out of her head. She still had enough time for that to change.

Using her natural grace and skill, she swung to the large church, Notre Dame, and climbed up to the point where she and Chat usually sat. The kitty cat was nowhere in sight.  _No surprise. I was-still-the fastest one_. And so, the spotted heroine sat on the stone railing next to a famed, stone gargoyle. She let herself get lost in the city lights. So bright and bustlingly. So full of life. It made her proud to see her city light up. A pleasant sigh escaped her lips.

"Sorry, I'm late My Lady~!" a flirty voice interrupted her trance. Ladybug turned her head towards her partner. He was dressed in his usual get up. Like always. His blond hair frizzier than normal. If she hadn't known better, she would think his hair had been touched by fire.

"It's alright, Chaton. What happened to your hair? Did you have a fight with the iron this morning?" she giggled.

"Oh well, an annoying tutor decide to get me out of the house with an unusual method."

That made her flinch. Tutor? Does he mean?...there's no way...Ladybug shook the thought away and playfully smirked, "How interesting, you have to deal with an insane tutor too?"

"Too?..so you've had to experience a crazy tutor as well?" Chat asked, not hiding his curiosity.

"Yes, he's a special one that's for sure. I'm not even sure how I'm surviving his...tor—extra teachings..." She let him have this little piece of Information. It wasn't like he knew Reborn. Her eyes wandered back to the city. It's lights reflecting in her eyes. "So, how was your half?" She asked, slipping back into her strictly business mode. It was the safest mode to be in after all.

"It was clean. No activity." The cat slid next to her and sat down. It was hard not to be hyper-aware of him after what had almost happened. Not that he knew.  _No Marinette! Don't think about it! It was nothing! Just him being a flirt!_  "My Lady, may I ask something?" he suddenly said, sounding a little serious.

"Yes?" she anticipated the question. Had he figured her out so easily? Does he know her identity? Her stomach twisted in a knot.

"Where did you go on the day that one Akuma, Stellar Mark, attacked?"

_Shit_. It was calming to know he hadn't figured her out, but if she doesn't answer this correctly he will find out.  _What to say?! What to say?!_  "I had an important family emergency," she answered carefully. "But what about you, if I recall correctly you weren't there?"

"I uh...was on an caught up in something." He scratched his neck. "But I was sure you would be able to handle the akuma...so that's why I'm confused. The reports on the blog said you left. So I'm wondering what kind of family emergency? Not that you have to say." he carefully pried.

"I found out something awful about my family member. They had joined something they weren't supposed to and died mysteriously. I assumed—everyone assumed it was an illness, but now I'm unsure." It was a lie—sort of. She did suspect that Kyoko didn't just die of an illness. The woman was too healthy, happy. It was unthinkable for a lady like her to die of some terminal illness. But the fact is, anyone can die from an illness. Healthy or not. So these were only speculations. The woman may have died from an illness or was murdered. I'll wait until Tsuna tells me. I don't want to open more wounds.

"Oh…OH, I'm so sorry Ladybug! I didn't—" the cat stuttered out an apology.

"It's alright, don't apologize. I was just stressed out."

"But still, I'm sorry." his ear flattened on his head. How cute.

LB gave him a soft smile and shook her head, "Don't be. My priorities were elsewhere. It was a mistake to let my personal life affect my work."

Chat shrugged his shoulders, "It happens. You can't beat yourself up for it."

"Yeah, but…" she carefully crafted her next line. Marinette tried to remember who she was in the moment, "I heard what happened to that Marinette." it felt weird to talk about herself in the third person. "She apparently caught fire?"

"More like fire bloomed out of her…kind of like how it did you, that day." Chat hummed.

"Pardon?"

"When we fought Crowned Ace, your flames exploded out. I wanted to ask if you knew about them. I sa—heard how Marinette reacted to her flames. It looked like you had control of yours, so I was wondering if you could maybe help her?" Chat's tail flicked back and forth as he requested that of her.

"Oh…yeah I can do that." she lied. She had no idea how to control her flames. The only way for them to come out were either by getting shot or those strange pills.

Emerald eyes were suddenly filled with hope and admiration, "Really! Then could you teach me as well?"

Her eyes widened at the turn of events. She wasn't expecting this. "Uhm. I don't know. How much do you know?"

"I know the names, colors, and how many there are!" he exclaimed. I guess it wouldn't hurt to say. Everyone has a flame anyway. This was not something she could sweep underneath the rug with ease. So Ladybug told him. She explained the flames that everyone had. She ran down the list. The hero reiterated the colors and names for him. However, She added on each of their attributes. The hero seemed to be soaking in the information one at a time.

"The only one that confuses me," he began after her little lesson, "is the Sky. You said it was Harmony? What does that entail?"

"Well, it means that it pulls in the other flames. Connecting them and balancing them out." she hummed in thought as she remembered her uncle's words, "It's like a drawing sensation. Like a force that pulls you in."

"I see, so like you then!" he exclaimed.

A blush appeared on her cheeks as her eyes widened. "L-like me?" She was surprised to hear him say such a thing. She had doubted that anyone would gravitate towards her as Tsuna claimed, but maybe there was a certain truth to it?

He nodded and grinned at her, "When I'm around you, it's like you have your own gravity! You're pawsitively irresistible." the cat hero purred.

LB giggled, "That pun was really  _weighing_  on your mind, huh?"

"Nah, that came right off the top of my head." Chat laughed. Ladybug cracked a smile and shared in laughter. Slowly it died and she found herself drawn away. Her eyes scanned over the glowing lights of the city. "Hey, LB. How did you draw out your flame that day?" he finally asked.

She was waiting for this question. The honest answer would be to tell him about Reborn shooting her. Though, she doubted that he'd take it lightly. Plus, she didn't know of any other way to draw it out. "Can't say, I just strongly desired to fight and it happened." she fibbed.

"Interesting." he hummed.  _Did he buy it? I hope he did._  "What do you think my flame would be?" He suddenly asked.

Ladybug hummed in thought. She considered his power and went with that. "Storm, maybe?"

"Makes sense, I am a force of nature to be reckoned with." He joked.

"Exactly, reckless and wild." she countered.

"Hey! I'm getting better at..." He trailed off.

"At thinking before jumping in head first?" She finished for him. He nodded weakly before grinning nervously. "Seriously Chat, you need to quit that. What if something happens to you?"

"Your safety means the most to me, My lady. I would gladly shield you from it all." he smiled brightly at her and something in her chest fluttered.

She averted her eyes and questioned the small sensation. It didn't belong. It was a sensation that she only felt around the love of her life. Adrien.  _No, this can't be. I am NOT fall—No_. She wouldn't even think of it. There was no way. Not when she had already sworn her heart to another. Besides, even IF she did, she convinced herself that it would never work anyway. SO her heart shouldn't have bothered to act up like this.

"Still, your well-being means a lot to me too. So promise me, you'll stop throwing yourself into harm's way?"

"I'm sorry Bugaboo, I can't promise you that. But I'll try to think ahead better." She looked up at him to protest and insist when she stopped due to the look on his face. He was serious. His eyes were filled with a pure emotion that she was hesitant to name.

The fluttering in her chest started up again. It took everything in her to try to calm it or make it fly away. "Alright." The two held eye contact for a moment before a loud ringing was heard. Ladybug slipped her yo-yo from her waist and slid it open. One the screen was a ringing clock and the words: "End of Patrol!". She quickly turned the annoying sound off.

"Well, that's our cue to go! You have a mewaculous night, LB~!" Chat chimed with a flirtatious tone.

She rolled her eyes at the awful pun. The strange beatings finally subsided. "You too, Chat."

Ladybug got her feet and she swung off into the night. The wind ran through the strands of her pigtails and ribbons. Making them fly and wave. She flew higher, taking in the glorious stars that shimmered in the night sky. Even at night, the sky was welcoming. For a moment, she felt free. Free from the Akumas, the homework, the Mafia, and even from her heart and it's crazy drumming. However, that irresponsible freeing feeling faded away once she saw her home.

Reality crashed into her. The villain they face every day, the school stress, the beatings of her heart, and the craziness of the Mafia. Landing on her terrace, she quickly dropped the transformation. That someone knew about her. There was no telling who they would give that information to. Or who they already told. Fear for her parents and friends gripped her heart. What could she do? She had to do something, but what? She could take up Reborn's offer to leave. Just pick her home up and relocate for safety until Tsuna sorts it out.  _No, Paris needs me! I can't just up and leave. Where would they even place us?_  She slumped her shoulders. Reflecting on her life. She already dragged two of her friends into this mess. And they're so stubborn that they won't leave that easily.

Marinette felt awful. What would she do if something happened to them? How could she cope knowing that she and her connections would cost them their lives? How would she even explain to the grieving parents how SHE got THEIR children killed? The more she dwelled on it, the tighter her heart squeezed.  _I can't do this! I'm not fit, I can't! It's too much! It's too dangerous! I can't handle—_

_THWACK_

A large mallet conked her on the head. She crumbled to her knees, holding her head in her hands. "Damnit! That hurt!"

"Dame-Mari, don't you start thinking things like that. Don't you know you aren't alone in this?" she heard the deep voice of her tutor. The secret heroine looked up and at the now-man. He was in his regular hitman suit with his hat and a large, green mallet in his hand. His eyes were that normal emotionlessness.

It took her a minute to process his words. "But I—"

"Nope! Dame-Mari, you have people who care about you. Guardians or not. If the pressure is too much, then it's time to start depending on those people."

"He's right, Marinette. You can open up and tell people. Those you trust of course. Like Chat!" Tikki chimed in.

"It's too much to ask for them to die for me" Marinette sighed. She slapped her hands to her face with another sigh. Couldn't she just catch a break? "Is there truly no one else qualified?" She asked one more time.

"Unless Dame-Tsuna randomly adopts some brat or you die. I'm afraid not." Reborn deadpanned. Marinette groaned and looked away. She truly was stuck _. Unless...maybe I can sign Tsuna up for one of those matchmaker sites?_  She had a feeling Reborn would kill her if she did that.

"Marinette, maybe it's time we take a break," Tikki suggested.

"A break?" she tilted her head in confusion.

The mini god nodded her head. "Yeah, a break. Let's work on things one at a time. I'm sure Chat can handle patrols for a few weeks. For now, I'd say you just focus on these pressing things. Hawkmoth isn't going anywhere. So I'd say it's time to lay back."

"But Tikki—"

"No buts, if you feel that this is too much, we can call Tsuna and get him to let you have a vacation."

"If she's going anywhere, it's to Vongola HQ. She needs to see the base. And maybe work on Tsuna's paperwork. He claims to need help with that." Reborn butted in and laid the bottom line.

"Well, Italy is beautiful! I haven't seen the HQ in…years!" Tikki squealed as she twirled in the air. Leaving a streak of sparkling red behind her.

Marinette thought about it and decided that it was a nice idea. She hadn't been to Italy in a long while. But, she didn't feel right leaving Paris alone for any amount of time. She trusted Chat to get things done, but only she could undo the damage and purify the butterflies. It seemed to be an irresponsible idea. "I don't know...Maybe when the time is right."

"Which will be?" Reborn asked.

"When Hawkmoth is defeated?" The tutor looked at her with a tired expression. "I can't just up and leave! Hawkmoth may not be going anywhere, but that doesn't mean he'll magically stop making akumas!" She reasoned.

"Vongola can take care of that," Reborn stated like it was obvious.

"That makes me even more hesitant to go." Marinette deadpanned.

"That's fine. If we can't go there..." Tikki trailed off and sent a suspicious grin towards Reborn.

The tutor instantly picked up on whatever she was trying to say. "Wonderful idea, tiny bug."

"It's Tikki." The magical being corrected.

"Whatever." Reborn brushed it aside.

Marinette glanced at them with suspicion. She didn't like this at all. Her kwami and tutor were planning something nefarious. She could tell. "What are you planning?"

"You'll see soon," Reborn smirked. A glimmer of mischief shone in his eyes. "For now, I suggest strengthening your bond with your guardians." She was still wary, but she decided to let it slide. If Tikki was involved, maybe she would be able to regulate Reborn?  _Ha, no._  Marinette kept her eyes on the two. Their words running in her mind. She knew how comforting Tikki could be, but Reborn? Who knew Reborn could be…painfully comforting. She smiled softly. Maybe the baby-man did care? Speaking of that….

"I-I I have a question…" she suddenly spoke up. Reborn raised a brow but said nothing, allowing her to ask, thanks. "H-How is it that you can be a baby and an adult?" she finally asked.

There was silence before the hitman suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold watch with a purple face. It was gorgeous and mystical yet she noticed how sci-fi it looked. "This lets me change my form to that of a child. It uses illusions to do so. It's perfect for training you and slipping in places undetected since no one expects much from an infant." he explained.

"So you're actually an adult?" He nodded.

"Yes, when I take it off, the illusion disappears. And I'm back to my normal self."

_Wait he said illusions…_ "If it's an illusion how come it feels so real?"

He smirked. "That's because the flames that power this are very powerful. Performed by a skilled Mist user."  _Mist?...Oh, the flame that has the ability of Creation, according to Tsuna. Interesting…so mist makes illusions?_  "You're learning already! Now, Go to bed! You need to be up at 3:00 sharp! So sleep…you'll need it." his smirk turned wicked. The girl gulped at his smirk. Marinette nodded her head vigorously. She had an icky feeling about her morning run.

_Oh great…_


	14. Discovery

To say waking up at three was harder than it sounded would be an understatement. Reborn strictly told her, be up at three. It's just…the bed was comfortable. Very. And her eyes were drooping. Her breathing nearly even. She was exhausted. So when he told her to get up she ignored him. Big mistake.

_**BUZZ** _

_What in the hell is that noise?_ She heard something being rubbed together but brushed it off.  _Must be Tikki._  She laid content on her back. Reborn can wait. She had time—An electric current rippled through her body starting from her chest. Her eyes shot open and she wailed. The electricity stopped and she glared at the criminal that caused it all. Reborn. He was standing there in doctor attire. In his hand was a Defibrillator!

"Reborn! Are you trying to kill me?!" she shrieked, clutching her heart as she gripped the railing of her bed. Her knuckles were white from the grip. She tried to breathe to calm her self but the pain from the shock kept lingering.

The tutor huffed, "Hurry up. You have to exercise."

"But—!"

"Hurry up." he rubbed the defibrillator paddles together, ready to shock her again. The girl scurried out of her bed, racing down the ladder. Sadly, in her hurry, she pulled her blanket with her. The fabric tangled at her feet, causing her to trip. She didn't go far. Just on her floor with a loud thump. She had hit face first, of all things. A part of her contemplated on just laying there. It was very tempting.

_**BUZZ BUZZ** _

However, no sound was as persuasive as that. In an instant, Marinette sprang up, ignored her throbbing nose, and managed to get dressed. In the  _bitter_ end, she sported a pink tank-top with the same flower pattern on it as her normal shirt. Except they were white and black. She stuck with black sweat pants with pink and white strips running down the sides. On her feet were some black tennis shoes. Tikki giggled and smiled at her. The small kwami flew into her purse and closed the clasp behind her. The designer grabbed the item and threw it on.  _You never know what could happen so early in the morning._

"Come on, we don't have time to spare." Reborn rushed her out of the house, using Leon to...'motivate' her. Such a great tutor. So motivational.

And so, running on at most three hours of sleep, Marinette followed the exercise he made for her. Using every piece of energy she could muster _. Maybe patrolling last night wasn't such a great idea._ Thankfully no one was out, it would awkward seeing a girl run from a child _._ Especially at the time, it was. She turned down a sharp turn and ran into something. She fell back and felt something hit her in the chest, successfully squeezing the air out. She opened her eyes half-way and saw a blond figure on her _. Who is up this early_?! The lack of sleep made her feel irritated. She glared at the person on her.

"Hey! What's the big ide-" she angrily rubbed her tired eyes trying to see who the fool was that landed on her. Didn't he know he was crushing her? Just who in their right mind would be up this early—not that she counted. She was being forced by a crazy tutor to be up this early. When her vision cleared and she got to take a good look at the person, her soul left her body. 

* * *

To say this morning was Adrien's unluckiest, would be an understatement. He was always unlucky. But this morning took the cake. How Nathalie didn't hear his screams of terror confused him. He had been sleeping peacefully when Reborn decided to grace him with his presence. He woke him up normally, which was suspicious.

"—up your training." Adrien was too tired. He kept tuning in and out of the kid's speech. "—the easy or hard way—" his eyes closed and Adrien nodded his head. He waved the kid away and rolled over. Missing the smirk on his face.

He was awoken a second time. This time, he found himself on his skateboard ramp. He was confused as to why until he heard a loud bang. He felt an intense headache come on and his head felt...heavier than normal. The strange weight displacement made his balance off. The boy toppled forward and he ended up rolling down the ramp. He found himself running into oddly placed baseballs on the ramp. They exploded upon impact. It caused him to fall on his back, unable to get up, like an overturned turtle. Plagg laughed at his demise. When the weight on his head finally dissipated, he was shot at again and found himself bouncing around his room on blonde springs. After that, he was thrown into his baseball hoop and got stuck there.

"Why are you doing this?!" Adrien wailed as he struggled to try to get out of the hoop. The baby didn't answer, instead, he jumped up to him with… _dynamites!? NO NO NO-_

_**BOOM** _

Reborn had laced the hoop in dynamites and blew him out of it. Thankfully he was out of the hoop but was still in reach of the devil child.

"Alright, it's 2:59. I'd say it's time for your morning runs. Get up!" Reborn shot at him again, purposely missing by a centimeter.

Without missing a beat, Adrien scrambled up and got dressed. He ended up wearing a black hoodie with a green paw and green linings. It was Chat Noir inspired.  _It's ok to wear things inspired by me. I'm just…showing my appreciation~!_ To go with, he wore loose white shorts and some black tennis shoes. Although he preferred his orange ones when he wore them Reborn would smack him. Something about not matching. It didn't make sense to him. He was a model, yes. But he didn't care much about his clothes. Or how he looked. Besides those were his favorite shoes. It was obvious that he would wear them every day.

"Let's go, Dame-Adrien." Reborn nearly pushed him out the house. Plagg zoomed into the hoodie pocket with his cheese and they were off.

They were lucky enough not to encounter Nathalie. She wouldn't allow him to leave this early. If she knew he did and reported it back to his father. Let's just say that they might fix his schedule to match his new sleep schedule. That or put him on total lockdown, which he does NOT need. Once they were outside, Reborn ordered him to do the routine. Apparently, the devil had somewhere to be. But where would he even go at this hour? What does he need to do?

"Where are you going?" the model asked.

"To get someone. Just do the exercise. If you don't…I'll know." the baby smirked. Adrien saw a bee buzz over to Reborn and stay there. They seemed to be… _communicating? What?_ After a few seconds, the bee flew away and buzzed around his head. He tried to swat at it, but Reborn's glare made him halt. "Well…get going!" Reborn shot at his feet and made him run.

Adrien ran and ran. He circled the school, went past the park, run by the Dupain Cheng's bakery a couple of times. It was his second run when his bad luck struck. He turned the corner near the park and crashed into someone. He and the other person toppled over. Adrien landed on them—her. If he could go by the round mounds that were pressed against his face, then it was her. Blood rushed to his face at the realization. He quickly lifted himself and was faced with his classmate, Marinette. Who was glaring at him? He flinched at the sight. He'd never thought he would see that glare directed towards him again. The one time he saw it was his first day of school. The glare was oddly familiar as well. Other than the fact he saw Marinette glare at him the first day of school. It oddly reminded him of his Lady.  _Weird._

"Hey! What's the big ide—" He saw her rubbing her eyes. She looked tired.  _I wonder why she's out here if she tired. Although, she does look kind of cute like this._

That thought and the fact that he was just not so long ago pressed against her chest made his face flush. Her eyes grew wide and she shrieked before squirming under him. The action made him blush even more and he hopped off of her. His hand covered his mouth as he looked away. Blushing like a madman. Marinette scrambled up and started babbling apologies. Her face was as red as Nathaniel's hair. He politely smiled at her usual antics. He was now more convinced that she was scared of him. She practically screamed when she saw his face.

"Did I say you two could stop running?" a squeak interrupted Marinette's babbling. They both straightened up and looked at the source—Reborn. He was screwed. He stopped running and Reborn caught him. Although, he said 'you two'. Did the crazy tutor mean Marinette too? "Well get on with it!" He pulled out a green whip and snapped it at them.

Both turned, fell in sync and ran. Adrien ran like never before and so did Marinette. They heard the cracking of the whip near their backs and the air it produced. Motivating them to go faster as if there was an Akuma on their tails.  _But this is worse than an Akuma._ The blond model looked over at his classmate. Her face was scrunched into an irritated glare. Her cheeks were dyed a rosy red. It looked as if she was avoiding him.

"So, is Reborn training you as well?" He voiced his suspicions.

The designer faltered and nearly fell. Luckily, he caught her only for her to scurry out of his arms. Adrien frowned at the action. They heard the whip crack and started on their way again.

"Y-yeah." The girl answered him after a few moments.

"Oh? Then is it safe to assume he told you it's for this F-Fam…Famiglia?" He struggled with the word for a bit.

A part of him was glad he wasn't the only one part of the infant's schemes. However, another part of him felt bad for the short girl. He fought akuma on a daily basis. She drew and designed outfits. Not going to lie, they were fantastic. She was really talented, but she didn't seem to have the…muscle mass and endurance to deal with Reborn. Even if the baby lived with her. Although, he may have to rethink that endurance part. She was keeping up with him very well. And dare he say, she might be going a little faster than him.

Marinette's eyes dilated and he noted the shock and horror in them. She stopped and stared at him. Her face pale and her eyes filled with fear.  _I scared her! Great job Agreste!_ "Did he tell you what Famiglia it was?!"

Adrien looked at her, surprised. "No."

The girl must've not heard him, because she kept going on asking weird questions. "Did he tell you anything else?! Anything?! About the family?! Or who's in it?! Did he mention anyone you know!?" With each question, she got closer and closer. Nearly pushing him up against the wall. Adrien glanced around and saw Reborn looking at him with a smirk. A shiver ran down his spine. Why wasn't the baby yelling at them to run? Was he enjoying this? The model looked back at the girl who was staring at him expectantly.  _I guess I should answer her..._

"Uh...no. No…um No? No. No. And no?"

Hearing his answer(s), the designer deflated. "Oh.." Marinette looked down and away. A blush covering her face. She backed away, most likely noticing how close she was before.  _Maybe she knows something...maybe that's why she asked._

"Do you know something about it?"

"W-What?! No! I was..uh- eh..curious! In you- I mean in it!..Yes! Wait No." She babbled on.

"Marinette." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok, just breathe."

The girl froze at his touch. She slowly yet robotically cranked her head up to look at him. Her face still a rosy red. He patiently waiting for her to start. The designer opened her mouth then closed it. She repeated the action before he watched her take a deep breath. "S-sorry!...I'm uh tired. I didn't..mean..well.. I was just curious...because...well..uh because he says the uh..s-s-same things! To me! And..um..eh I thought you k-knew! Hehe.." She explained nervously.

_So she really doesn't know. Dang._ "It's alright. I—"

"Less talking more running." Reborn intervened.

With a crack of a whip, they were on their way.

* * *

As she ran around her room, getting ready, Marinette was literally freaking out. She had jogged with Adrien FREAKING Agreste. Of course, she nearly died when he asked about the Mafia.  _Although, he didn't seem to know that it was about the Mafia._ So lucky her! But not lucky her.

"Reborn! You shouldn't involve Adrien in this!" She scolded the infant.

"He not involved." the baby smirked while petting his partner. "Yet."

"Yet?! No never! He has a life to live! Goals, aspirations! Not spend his life working with the MAFIA!" she nearly screeched.

Reborn looked at her and her glare dropped. He seemed serious. "Dame-Mari, this might be the best thing to happen to him. I've seen a glimpse of his life and I tell you…it's cold."

Her heart dropped. She knew that Adrien was having some issues with his father. She remembered the time where everyone's parents came to class and he repeatedly left the room to call his father. Only to come back with a sad look on his face. The disappointed look he wore was unbearable. If she could, she would've given him all the croissants to cheer him up.

"His father is absent. Just like Dame-Tsuna's was." She faintly remembered hearing about her 'uncle's' father. The man worked construction a good portion of his younger life. Always gone. But he sent a postcard and came back once in a while. "Except, Dame-Tsuna's dad had a 'reason' to be gone. That man worked for the last boss, Nono."

_Wait_ — "He was in the Mafia too?!" She received a small nod.  _Well, that explains things. But what could possibly be the thing that held Gabriel back from spending time with his own son?_

"All I'm saying is, the Mafia might be the thing he needs to make his life…sunny again." the hitman smirked.

She considered it and kicked herself for it. This was the mafia they were talking about _. Not just any mafia family, Vongola._ Ok maybe this family was different than the stereotype, as they claim, but the dangers are still present. She was used to be in danger every day, not Adrien. Or Alix or Nino. None of them had any idea the trouble, the fear that went into this. They shouldn't have to worry about who might want to kill them or not.

"It shouldn't be…" Marinette mumbled.

"Marinette! You should get going before you're late!" her mother's voice rang out from downstairs.

_Oh great, I'm going to see him at school as well…_ She gazed at herself in the mirror, her hair was in its usual pigtails and she had her favorite black blazer along with her white shirt and pink pants. On her side was her purse with Tikki resting inside. With a bag of cookies this time.

"Ok, you can do this Marinette," she spoke to herself, trying to encourage herself. "You just ran with Adrien! The love of your life! Seeing him afterward will be a piece of cake!"

* * *

It wasn't a piece of cake.

In fact, it was like the cake was right there, but taunting her while knowing that she couldn't grasp it.

When she arrived at school, Adrien greeted her. Turning her into a blubbery mess as she greeted him back. The run AND fall replaying in her mind. He talked to her about…something. Not that she was paying attention. It was hard to pay attention when he was looking at her with those perfect green eyes. Then came along Chloé. To her ultimate surprise, once the girl came in radius, so did Marinette's guardians. They just appeared out of thin air! Both of them growling at the blond—well just Nino, Alix gave her a firm glare.

"Hmph! I had important things to do anyway." the mayor's daughter huffed and clicked her fingers. "Sabrina! Let's go!"

She and her lackey walked off. When Alya saw the spectacle, she patted Alix and Nino on the backs. Although, Marinette could pinpoint the small blush on the reporter's face when she was near Nino. And the blush on Nino's face.  _Those fools can't hide anything from me._ During class, it was the same old story. Marinette staring at Adrien, Alya nudging her for it. Teacher teaching. Chloé was…well, Chloé. Except when the Madame Bustier made a connection with a group of people in the book to the Mafia, she tensed while Nino and Alix gave her knowing looks.  _Then…that_  question came.

"Does that mean everyone in the Mafia is bad?" Rose innocently asked.

Before the teacher could answer, Chloé huffed. "Of course! The Mafia is full of disgusting, cruel pigs that want to kill you and take your money. They're savages."

For some reason. For some 'unknown' reason, that answer lit something in her. Her Uncle wasn't cruel. His friends weren't disgusting. None of them wanted to kill for money. Her guardians—FRIENDS—certainly didn't. Nor were any of them savages. To hear Chloé say something like that, felt just as offending as if she was insulting her family directly.

_"Uncle Tsuna. What do...Fama..famaglea mean?"_

_There was a chuckle, "Famiglia. It means family in Italian."_

_"So, does that mean Maman and Papa are my famaglea?!"_

_"Yes, and so are we. Don't forget that"_

_"I won't! Promise!"_

Suddenly, it felt like she was seeing orange again.

* * *

_**SLAM** _

Adrien whipped his head around and saw Marinette on her feet with her hand on the desk. Her lips were turned to a frown. Her eyebrows narrowed and her eyes…Her eyes. Now they were something that made him do a double take. They were still blue, but something was in them. Yes, it was anger, but not JUST anger. Fear and sadness were there as well. But, no. That wasn't what he saw. He saw orange. In those blue sapphires was a blazing, orange fire. It was like blue and orange softly blended together and hardened like steel. It made her sunny and warm eyes look like hard, cold metal. He felt like they pierced through him and into his soul. It was like they knew everything about him. Dare he say, it terrified him.

Her mouth opened and she spoke confidently. "Don't assume things like that. There are people who  _are_  good. You do not know their situation, so don't act like you know everything." the gritting in her teeth was there too. He knew those words were directed to Chloé, but they hit him too. In the corner of his eye, he saw the tightening of Nino's fists. The DJ looked almost as angry as the designer. Adrien's eyes fell on the ring. It was a shining blue. From here he could see the faint outline of a…rain drop? His eyes wondered over to Marinette's ring and to his shock. It seemed to be glowing a bit.  _Is that just the sun shining off on it?_

His eyes went back to Nino's ring. It wasn't glowing.  _That has to be the sun._ He looked over at Alix and saw her clenching her fists as well. She looked almost as angry as Marinette. The red ring on her finger wasn't glowing either.  _It's the sun, most definitively._ However, he didn't feel so sure about that.

There was a loud scoff, "Oh yeah? And what do you know?"

"I know enough, Chloé." The name dripped out her mouth with venom attached. "I know enough to know that not everyone is as cruel and evil as you think. Even you." Her voice softened at the end.

He saw his old friend's eyes widen for a second. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she managed a huff. "Whatever, you're far too soft. It'll bite you in the butt one of these days Dupain-Cheng." An expression crossed Chloé's face that he instantly recognized. She was speaking from experience. And he knew the reason behind it.

_Oh, Chloé._

Madame Bustier sighed before speaking back up again. "I appreciate a good debate, however, Marinette, while you are right, there  _are_  dangerous people out there so we must still be careful."

Chloé huffed and flipped her hair. Marinette clenched the fist that was resting on her desk before sitting in her seat. Adrien stared for a second before turning back around. Questions racing through his mind.  _Why did Marinette get so riled up about the subject? It was like she took it personally...?_

The more he thought, the more Adrien wondered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With Everything that's been going on in the show--problematic and not--it's weird to look back and remember that this story was birthed in the aftermath of season 1.


	15. Twin Trouble

"Do you think the kids behaved?" A woman with long pitch black hair asked a man with unruly golden locks, she currently linked arms with.

The woman was dressed in a slim dark purple dress that had black stars in the edges of it. The stars varied in size but seemed to trail up the skirt of the dress, curling around it. The stars stopped at the waist, which was covered by a thick black belt. The top was the same purple with the black stars dripping from the collar. On her hands were simple black gloves. With her outfit, she wore light makeup. Lip gloss, eye-liner, eye shadow, and mascara. Her hair was in large curls at the ends.

"I'm sure they did, Honey." the man spoke in a deep voice.

The man she linked arms with had on a black tux with a deep purple tie along with shiny black dress shoes. The tie had a lone black star in the center. To go with his suit, the man had a purple flower in the front pocket. His hair was slicked back, save for a stray piece that hanged on his forehead. Not that either of them minded.

It was obvious where the couple had been. They were dressed for a party. And the smiles on their faces proved it. Now they were walking up to their lovely home. The lights were on, making golden rays shine from the cracks of concealed windows. The man raised his hand and stuffed it into his pants pocket. There emerged a cluster of keys. Eyeing them, he cycled through the few before his hand gripped a gold colored key. Slowly, he stuck the key into the lock and in a swift movement, turned it and opened the door. Light bathed the couple and the smiles that were on their faces dropped dramatically. Their eyes scanned the house and saw a woman with light brown hair, twisted in a messy, wet bun standing at the end of their stairway.

She had bags under her eyes. Silly string laced in her damp hair. Lipstick that was poorly drawn on her lips and cheek. Her clothes her tattered and ruined. Even parts of it were burnt. Everything else on her was dripping wet. Her hair, some of her clothes. Her shoes. Even her face. However, it wasn't just the lady that looked worst for wear. The carefully white painted walls were decorated in a rainbow of drawings and doodles. The ceiling was dripping. The floor had scorch marks. Part of the stairs had a crack in it. Silly string was stuck in the chandelier. They even heard the whistling of a kettle from the kitchen going off like crazy.

"What—" the woman sputtered, flabbergasted at the sight.

"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Stirling, but those….those 'children' cannot be controlled!" The lady yelled. The couple said nothing. They seemed to understand by the looks of the house so far. But surely it couldn't be that bad. "They ruined the house. They ruined my hair! They ruined dinner! I'm sorry, but I quit! Find someone else to take care of your brats! GOOD DAY!"

Shocked and angered, the couple watched as she marched past him and out of the house. They watched as she started up her car and practically raced out the driveway. The shared a look before turning back to the chaos. The woman took a deep, deep breath before opening her mouth.

"JANE, DAVID! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" The mother roared.

There was silence before a pair of small footsteps ran down the stairs. A boy and a girl stood at the end of the stairwell. One had long, straight, blond hair while the other had spiky black hair. They both had small frowns on their face. As if the knew what they had done wrong.

"That was the last babysitter! And you scared them away! Again!" the woman-mother yelled at her children. They both looked down in shame. "How many times must we go through this? Why can't you just be nice to them for once? And not destroy the house?!" she yelled again, as her husband held her back, her face becoming red.

"Sweetie, they are children. They probably didn't mean to mess up the house…again." The man tried to soothe her.

"Yeah, mama. We were just trying to get the lady, she-" the young girl was interrupted.

"My house has burnt marks! Burn marks!" She screeched.

"I know it looks bad, but we've dealt with worst." He tried to reason.

"Who knows what would happen if we were out longer?! The place could've been burned down!" The woman marched away from her husband's grip and towards the frowning children.

"You two," she addressed them in a harsh tone, "will go upstairs to your rooms and think about what you've done! Later, I will have to personally take all your things. Maybe then, you'll learn to behave."

The children tried to protest but were met with a cold glare. They looked at their father, only to see him shake his head. The kids shared a look before marching upstairs in shame. They heard in the distance their father try to reason with their mother. Then hear her yell at him before closing the door. The boy's shoulders slumped as he stopped walking. The girl stared at her brother, seeing the tears curl out of his eyes.

"Don't cry, David." the young girl tried to calm her brother.

David sniffled and choked out a sob. The girl reacted in an instant. Hugging her brother while petting his unruly hair. The boy was always more sensitive out of them. He tended to act on his emotions more so than the girl.

"She hates us, Jane! We messed up again!" He sobbed.

Jane gritted her teeth. "It was that babysitter's fault! She just doesn't know it."

David shook his head, weakly. His tears staining the girl's shirt.

Jane felt a harsh emotion raise up in her. Anger. The women hadn't listened to them. She just spouted whatever nonsense she was thinking. The blonde looked over to the bed. On it was the twins favorite toy or pranking tool. Two fake water guns. Identical in every way. Gold and black in color. She could still fondly remember the day they received them.

It was summer. The heat was blazing on them as they were slumped in the shade. Unmoving. Who could move at all that day? She remembered wanting to jump in the Seine until her father came over with something behind his back. Imagine their surprise and shock when he whipped out two pistols and shot at them. Her heart nearly jumped. They were so realistic. That is until she felt the wonderfully cold water that splashed her face. The memory brought her happiness. Happiness that she wanted to share with her twin. So, grasping his hand, she dragged the boy over to the toy guns and picked one up.

She felt his gaze burn into her as she tilted the gun on its side. There in the bottom were the letters DK wrote in white sharpie. The first time the letters were written they laughed. And she spent the day calling him Donkey Kong. Without wasting time, the girl shoved the toy in his hand. He looked at her, confused.

"Remember the day we got these?" She asked as she picked up the other one. She received a nod from the boy. "It was the best! We had great fun that day! Even mama joined in!" She spoke in excitement and happiness. Pushing back the negative emotions.

A minute passed and her smile faltered. Until he smiled back at her. "I remember! It was the same day that you decided to fill it up with ketchup and shoot some at that one girl in the park!"

"Hey, she had it coming to her!" They laughed together and clashed the toys together as if they were swords. They held it there for a while as they laughed.

David looked at his toy gun. The lightweight plastic in his hand. It didn't take long until the events from earlier played back in his head. The babysitter had been utterly awful. Using their mother's makeup, taking her clothes, watching their TV, bringing some strangers over. It was horrendous. So to get back at the lady, he and his sister devised a plan to make her run away. And like everything they did. It backfired. Their mother hadn't listened to them when they tried to explain. Just yelled at them. That made his heart crack once again. Why couldn't the woman see they were trying to help? Without warning, his tears came back as his laughter died. Jane's heart clenched at the sight. Anger raising back up. And this time it stayed. Because not even the presence of the small happy memories in their literal hands could comfort them. The twins were so deep in their emotions that they barely noticed the flapping of black butterflies. Until the creatures landed on their prized possessions.

David's head shot up and he saw his sister join him as well. A purple butterfly mask hovering over her face.

" _ **How cruel**_." He heard a deep voice chime in his head. " _ **She didn't even take the time to hear you out**_."

He agreed. If only their mother had listened.

" _ **But I can. I can and will listen. And I can help make her see that you were trying to protect them.**_ "

He could?

" _ **I can. I just need something in return.**_ "

An image of spotted earrings and a black ring appeared in the boy's mind. Suddenly the deal didn't seem that bad to them. A ring and earrings? It shouldn't be that difficult to find. But they were still achingly familiar? Was it something from TV?

" _ **It's time to make the world your playgrounds, Twin Trouble.**_ "

* * *

Marinette ran down the street, a white box in her hand. She was on an errand to do for the bakery. As she ran her mind replayed the 'blow up' from earlier. How could she just yell like that? It wasn't like Chloé was insulting her family.  _But I'm the soon to be head of a mafia family._ That was not the same thing though. Or was it?

"Tikki," she whispered as her kwami poked her head out of her purse. "Did I handle that well? I mean I shouldn't have blown up. She wasn't even insulting me or my family."

"This just means you consider the mafia as your family." the sprite chimed.

This caused her to slow her pace down to a walk. "But! I can't possibly…do I?"

"Yes, you do. You have to stop doubting yourself and this! One day you hate the mafia and Vongola. The next you consider becoming the head! You have to choose. You know that Vongola isn't like the rest of the Mafia families out there. Tsuna is proof of that." Tikki looked at her with her big blue eyes.

Marinette sighed, "I know…you're right. I do know. It is true. However, I just….I just wish that I didn't have to drag anyone else in it. To be completely honest, I was starting to think I could do this. Be that sky that Tsuna was talking about. However, I'd rather do this alone than involve people like Nino and Alix. Don't get me wrong it's not like I don't like their company or desire to protect me. It's just I don't want to see them hurt because of something that's my problem." she confessed.

"The superhero duo can't be a duo without you or Chat." Tikki suddenly said.

"Tikki, that has nothing to do with—"

"Yes it does, Marinette. The Vongola has 6 or 7 guardians that follow and the protect the sky guardian right?" the secret heroine nodded, "And Chat is there to help and aid Ladybug. Without him, you wouldn't be here today. And yet without you, neither would he. Right?" She nodded again, trying to see the kwami's point. "Then, this is not something you can do alone. Don't think you can. It's good to be independent but you really need to accept their help. You do with Chat, why not with them?"

"I don't wish for them die because of me!" she cried out, earning some people attention. She lowered her head to avoid the stares of confusion. "It's bad enough, Chat throws his life on the line every time we fight, but to think my friends would do the same? I don't want them to get hurt or worst…" she felt the tears squeeze out the sides of her eyes.

"Then protect them."

"But I do—" she was interrupted yet again.

"Not as Ladybug. Protect them as Marinette. The soon-to-be leader of Vongola. The eleventh. And most importantly, their friend. When they protect you, it's your duty to protect them. That's what a sky does. Protects her guardians and keeps them together. You already protect them from Akumas. You can do this too."

At those words, she felt a rush of determination fill her. The small being was right. She could do this. She already protected them every day. So she can do this. It was time to use her fear of losing them to push herself to protect them in a different way than she normally did. It was time to become a "sky" that was needed. Not the sky that just sat back and worried while her fellow companions risked their life for her. They were her Guardians. Her friends! And most importantly…her family. Her Famiglia.

So yes, Chloé did insult them. That fact made her angry again. "Thank you, Tikki."

The sprite smiled at her user, her large eyes glowed with pride. "You're welcome Marinette. Just remember that next time you doubt."

"I will.."

The girl walked on. Slowly arriving at the deliveries destination. She rounded the corner before she heard a voice yell out to her. Stopping in her tracks, she looked ahead and saw Alix and Nino waving at her. She smiled before running over to them. There was a determination in her eyes.

"Hey, Mari! We were just about to go to the bakery!" Nino smiled at her.

"Yeah, I'm dying for one of those special macaroons," Alix smirked.

"Guys." she addressed them, her voice soft. They stood in attention ready for anything. The sight nearly made her laugh. They made her so happy. It was just…it was simply the best feeling. "I'm sorry. I haven't been the best of a friend lately. I mean I sit back and let you guy worry over me. I'm grateful for the protection and I've been so self-absorbed to even say Thank you. So Thank you! Also, I think…it's time for me to change. I want to become the sky you'll be proud of! So…will you please be my guardians? Not because some ring says you are fit to be one, but because I want you to want to be by my side as I—we go through this?" she looked at them, her eyes hopeful.

Suddenly, she felt two pairs of arms grab her and pull her into an embrace. She was surprised at first but melted in the hug.

"Silly Mari! Of course, we'll be your guardians!" Nino smiled at the petite designer.

"Yeah! I can't think of any other sky I'd rather be with!" Alix spoke in agreement.

Marinette smiled at her friends. "Thank you!" The group continued to hug until Marinette squeaked. The two guardians recoiled and looked at their sky. Marinette was staring at the box in her hands. It seemed to have a few dents in it from the hug.

"The cake!" She opened the box and inside the pastry stood. Some of the frosting on the sides were smeared but luckily not too much. Nino and Alix smiled while Marinette let out a sigh of relief at the sight. "Sorry guys, but I have to get this delivery in before the cake is destroyed even more."

"How about we come with you? We can always get those treats after the delivery." Nino offered.

Marinette though on it for a moment. It was a good idea. And she would appreciate their company. She smiled once again and nodded. The two grinned happily and together they were on their way. Everything seemed better now. The doubt was ushered away from Marinette's mind. Letting her enjoy their company in complete happiness. However, she felt a small sharp tug at her mind. It didn't seem like much so she left it.

As the trio walked on, the tugging became greater. So much so, that her head began to pound. Marinette placed her hand on her forehead and stopped walking. Her companions looked at her in confusion and worry.

"Are ya ok?" Alix asked.

She nodded, "Yeah, just a headache."

For a moment, it seemed to subside into a numb drumming. It hurt but was enough for her to ignore to a certain extent. Marinette straightened herself up and continued to walk ahead. She tried her utmost best to ignore the pounding in her head. Luckily, they reached the cakes destination just in time. Standing there on the sidewalk was a boy, whom she thankfully knew. He stood tall with scarlet red hair that hung over one eye. Sometimes it reminded her of the little mermaid. His eye(s) were a warm turquoise. The boy had a gray blazer over a red shirt that had a black symbol on it. He had purplish pants along with matching shoes. He seemed to be waiting for someone.

"Nathaniel!" Marinette called his attention.

Nathaniel looked over at the designer and Marinette noticed a slight red coloring in his cheeks. He raised a hand and waved in her direction. Marinette shifted the packaged cake over onto her right arm, freeing her left. She raised her hand and waved back at him before she quickly placed it under the box yet again. The trio of friends strutted over to the artist.

Marinette held out the package to him. "Here you go, one red-velvet cake with white and lavender frosting...extra on the frosting."

"Thanks, M-Marinette! My mother will love this." He carefully grabbed the cake from her grasps.

"Wait so the cake was for him?" Nino asked.

The secret hero nodded her head, "Yeah, he called the bakery placing in the order."

Nathaniel nodded in agreement, his cheeks still red, "My mother's birthday is tomorrow. So my dad told me to order a cake. Of course, he paid for it."

"That's cool." Alix smiled at the blushing artist.

"S-So, how are y-you?" Nathaniel stuttered.

"I'm doing well!" Marinette answered cheerfully while exchanging knowing looks with Alix and Nino.

"What about you?" She asked. "I know you were working on a project. How's that going?"

"Oh, that?" The artist seemed more relaxed at the question. "It's going...well? I guess. I haven't got any inspiration for one of the characters."

"Characters?" Alix and Nino asked in unison.

Nodding her head in confirmation, Marinette explained. "He's creating a comic based around Ladybug. And he plans to add another hero."

"Oh! Well! I got a hero for you! How 'bout a dashing man with a turtle themed suit? Or! Or a cranky samurai?" Nino suggested.

"Cranky samurai?" Alix raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah!" Marinette nearly face-palmed.

"That's lame! How about a heroine that kicks ass with her skates?!" Alix offered.

Nino crossed his arms. "Hey! You're just talking about yourself!"

"So? I'd make a great hero!" Alix snapped back, crossed her arms and leaning on one leg.

"Yeah right. You'd probably end up racing Ladybug and Chat Noir in every battle."

"Oh yeah?! Well, you'd most likely force them to listen to your awful tunes!" She insulted.

Nino gasped in horror, "You take that back."  _Oh lord, these two are a riot._ Marinette sighed at her bickering friends before a smile wormed its way on her face.

"How about a swift baby hitman and his shape-shifting chameleon?" A squeaky voice chimed in. They turned to the source. Although some already knew who it was. It was Reborn in all his baby glory. A concrete slab was pulled up and back like a hatch. Underneath was a metal tunnel with a ladder on the side where the infant stood. As per usual. He was decked out in his usual suit, tie, and fedora combination. Leon was rested on the rim of his hat like always.

"Reborn!"  _He has passageways out here too?!_

"A hitman baby? That sounds like it would be interesting." Nathaniel looked thoughtful of the idea. Marinette wanted to slap her forehead. But she was too polite to do that in front of Nathanael. The poor boy didn't know how evil the baby/adult was.

"Who's the shrimp?" Alix asked. Even Nino looked confused.

_Oh yeah, they were only introduced to Reborn as an adult._ "This is Reborn. My 'tutor'." The designer explained.

"Oh. Sup. He looks cute."

"Looks can be deceiving." Marinette deadpanned.

"Haha! What do you mean? He looks so innocent!" Nino laughed.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "INNO-! You know what? Never mind. You just haven't experienced him yet."

The four of them laughed. It was a very happy and carefree moment. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. The pounding in Marinette's head grew immensely. So much so that it felt like someone was banging a hammer against her skull. A duo of maniacal laughter rang out along with screams of terror. Turning to the source, the four saw two children. A boy and a girl.

The girl had a dark, black mask with a red heart sewn into it, under the left eye. A red ribbon tied around her head-probably to keep the mask back. She wore a black vest that had a hood attached to it. Red fur was laced in the inside of the hood. Under it was a white shirt with a red heart in the front. She had black shorts with a red half skirt over the left side of her leg. On her feet were red boots with black laces.

The boy had a red mask with a black teardrop under the right eye. He wore a red hoodie with black fur laced into the edges. The hoodie had long spikes in it-sort of like a cowl. Under it was a white shirt with a red X on it. He had black pants with red ribbons crisscrossed around the legs. He also had black boots with red laces.

They both had ash gray skin and matching golden pistols. The boy had spiky, black hair while the girl had golden, blonde hair.

A swarm of people ran toward the four of them. Trying to get away from the new victims.  _That's odd. I didn't think there could be two akuma at once!_ The kids pulled out their pistols and aimed at the crowd. Slimy, green goop flew out the barrels and stuck a man and woman to the ground.

_Ok, time to find a place to transform!_ "I just remembered, I had something to do!" Marinette tried to excuse herself but was stopped by Nino's iron grip.

"Oh no! You are not leaving my side! Not like last time!"

_Oh great!_

"Guys, I think we should run!" Alix yelled and pushed the four of them along.

They broke out into a sprint. Luck did not seem to be on their side, as the pair noticed them fleeing the scene. The girl snickered, "Oh ho ho! Look at this dear brother! A game of tag!"

"Oh? I do hope we're it!" The spike-haired boy grinned.

They took off after them.  _Oh great! What happened to ladybug's luck?!_ Nino dragged Marinette along as they ran. Alix was running close behind them with Nathanael to her left. The artist still held on to his dear mother's birthday cake. As the world flew by them, Marinette thought up ways to separate from them to transform. It wasn't as easy as pulling away from Nino and running into a back alley. There was a chance the Akumas might follow her, see her transform, then Hawkmoth would know who she was. The strange duo let out a wicked laugh before she heard the sound of their guns going off. A yell soon followed after. One that she recognized. Whipping her head around, the small designer saw her storm guardian on the ground covered in sticky goop.

"Alix!" She called out to her.

Grunting, Alix yelled back, "Go on! I'll be fine!" Marinette shook her head, ready to go back for her until the duo drew dangerously close. "Go!" Alix gave one left shout as Nino pulled Marinette along.

"No! Nino, we have to go back!"

The DJ looked back at her, "Mari, we can't. We—LOOK OUT!" He let go of her hand and pushed her behind him. To her horror, a flaming ball of red was shot at his feet. A ring of fire sprung forth, surrounding him.

"Nino!" She ran towards the flames only to stop because of their blazing heat. Panic engulfed her features. Her friend was in danger! One of her best friends was in danger! The twins laughed at her distress, before taking aim. Not that she cared. All she was focused on was getting her pals out.

"Marinette no!" Her eyes flicked up to the akumatized victims only to see a ball of icy blue flying her way. For some reason, she couldn't move and she felt frozen.  _How ironic…_ The secret heroine squeezed her eyes shut.  _Guess Chat's on his own for this one._ After a minute she felt nothing. Something was wrong. Cracking open her eyes, she saw red locks of hair in her face. Her eyes dilated in horror. In front of her was Nathaniel. Except he was frozen.

"No.." She let out a small whimper of fear.

Why had the artist take the hit for her?! Why, why, why!? She heard the duo laugh once again, but she didn't bother to listen to their words.

_I need to do something!_

_**Click** _

She heard the sound of a gun. Turning around, she came face to face with Reborn. He was poking out of a sewer hole. His Leon gun aimed at her.  _Oh no! I can't! The dying will bullet! I don't want to be known as a pervert or worst!...but...my friends. They need me! Didn't I say I was going to be the sky they would be proud of?!_ Hardening her eyes, she mentally prepared herself. A smirk graced the baby's features before he pulled the trigger back. A loud sound rippled through the air.

The last thing Marinette felt was her intense desire to save her friends. 

* * *

There was a silence in the air. Then a soft thud of the body hitting the ground. Twin Trouble stared at the 'dead' girl. It shocked them how she just fell dead. They didn't even have to do anything. They felt disgusted and shameful. They didn't want to kill anyone! They just wanted their mother to listen to them for once!

To their ultimate surprise, the dead girl's body glowed an orange hue before an equally orange fire sprouted from her head. Her eyes shot open and her irises were dilated down. Her eyebrows her furrowed in an angry fashion. The previously dead girl let out an angry roar and spouted words like Dying Will and saving friends. When she rose up using only her feet, the twins were floored. How could someone do that?! That was inhuman! Twin Trouble backed away from the strange female creature. Fearful of their lives as she glared their way.

"M-Maybe we should run," Jane suggested.

"G-Good idea, Sis." David agreed with a stutter.

They tried to flee, but alas it wasn't enough. The girl sprung at them with speed, unlike anyone they knew. The two had to sadly roll away from each other to avoid her barreling at them. They quickly stuck back together once the threat ran past them. Turning around, they saw her running before she screeched to a stop. This wasn't an ordinary stop, however. In fact, when she slid to a stop, her feet were shoved into the concrete...CONCRETE ground. And she went a little way forward, tearing up the road along the way.

"Monster." They mumbled in disbelief.

Like lightning, she twisted around and bounded towards them. Shrieking in fear, the duo ran away as fast as they could. However, they sadly weren't fast enough. They were slammed face first into the ground. Anger filled the young female. She twisted herself around—ignoring her injured nose—and aimed at the flaming teen. When she pulled the trigger, out came a small, blue, icy ball. The civilian didn't even try to dodge!

_What the heck?!_

* * *

He was floored.

Chat Noir was floored.

Back up, what was he floored about? Let's just say, that he had new respect—and fear of—for a certain designer girl.

Adrien was modeling at the park like normal. Everything was well. Until the sounds of people screaming reached his ears. The photographers instantly knew what this meant and began packing up the set. Other people who were sitting in the park began to run away. Using the rush of people, Adrien ran out of the open park and to the nearest alleyway.

"Plagg!" The model opened his overshirt as the kwami floated out.

Plagg yawned, "Can't I sleep first?"

Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes, "You slept for hours."

"Not enough." The cat deadpanned.

Shaking his head, Adrien called, "Plagg! Transform me!"

Adrien-Chat Noir leaped out the alleyway. Ready to help save the day. He bounded across rooftops to get to the area of the attack. It wasn't hard to find. Just run in the opposite direction of the fleeing civilians. Not hard at all. Drawing close, he heard a loud roar followed by a rush of words. All spoken in an angry tone. Assuming the roar belonged to the villain, Chat picked up the pace. He ran along to rooftops and when he finally reached his destination. The cat nearly fainted.

There! Facing off against the Akuma-Akumas! Was Marinette! To his utter surprise and shock, he saw the designer screeched to a stop. Tearing up the ground along the way.  _How-!? Oh my god..._ The akumatized victims were suddenly slammed into the ground, creating a small crater with spiderweb cracks running from it. Marinette's hands were on their heads, pushing them further before she sprung back and landing on her feet. Chat was amazed at the whole scene. Never in his life would he imagine Marinette being that strong.

_Maybe I should start working in a bakery._

Suddenly the female akuma twisted her body around and shot a ball of small ice at the crazed designer. And she didn't even try to move! The sight caused him to snap back into action, propelling himself down to the scene using his extendable baton. Chat leaped at the flaming girl, wrapping his arms around her torso. Pulling her with him as they jumped out the way of the projectile. In their dust was a small irregular pillar of ice.

Chat quickly sprung up the side of a small tiered building. At the top, he quickly placed Marinette down. The girl glared at him making him flinch at the intensity. Her eyes were hardened just like they were in class. The blue in her eyes was a cold metal instead of the sky blue he recognized and was familiar with. The fire on her head was burning wildly before he noticed that he began to get smaller. The flame completely diminished and he noticed the soft sky blue in her eyes came back.

There was one emotion that he could read in those crystals. Confusion. She looked around. Taking in the surroundings before her eyes landed on him. "Chat? When did you get here?"

"Um..I..uh...just got h-here." He was still in shock from witnessing the whole encounter.

"Oh well, there's two Akumas!"

He nodded, "I saw. Thanks, for...erm, holding them off." He couldn't believe that he would ever say that to a civilian, to Marinette, of all people.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say, you were...on fire!" He gushed.

She looked confused before something seemed to dawn on her. Marinette let out a loud gasp. She placed a hand over her mouth. Her eyes flickered behind him. She ran towards the side of the building and looked over. She turned back to him. "My Guar—er Friends are still in trouble!"

"Don't worry, Ladybug should be here soon."

"You got that right, Chaton!" a squeaky voice chimed in. 

* * *

Their eyes turned to the voice and Marinette nearly threw herself off the roof. Standing there in a ladybug get up…was Reborn. He even had a wig and a yo-yo. The yo-yo was red, but she saw the familiar Chameleon's eyes on them. They took the place of two black dots.  _That poor Chameleon._ She silently hoped that Chat didn't fall for this disguise.

"Reborn! What are you doing!?" she spoke in a scolding tone.

"K-Kid, what are you doing up here, you should go find your f-father, I'm sure he's worried about you." Chat gave Reborn a shaky hero grin.

She saw that look in Reborn's dark eyes. It was a dangerous gleam. Reborn grasped the yo-yo and it glowed before turning into his signature gun. Aiming at them, they both straightened up. "You are a hundred years too early to be questioning me, Dame."

"S-Sorry!" Chat squeaked.

"Get out of here! Take Dame-Mari to safety." They nodded their heads in fear. She let Chat pick her up. They didn't move just yet and that seemed to irritate Reborn. "I said…go!" and he shot their way.

The two of them let out shrieks before Chat finally took off. Her furious blush never died the whole trip. Oh, how embarrassed she felt. To have her partner see her like that again. Such a nightmare. She constantly prayed that this was just an awful dream and she would wake up in Class or at home. Sadly, those prayers were never answered. When they finally reached her house, Chat set her down on the terrace. He scratched behind his neck. A very familiar move that she saw on another blond _. Pft no way_. She quickly brushed that thought before it grew into something she might regret.

"How did you manage to do that?" He finally spoke.

"Do what?" She acted cluelessly.

"Produce a dying will flame." He looked at her expectantly.

She gulped, "You know about dying will flames?" Of course, he did, she told him about them herself. As Ladybug of course.

Chat raised an eyebrow before he gave her a weak smirk. His awful way of trying to lighten the situation. "Yep!"

A sudden shriek cut through the air. The two tensed up and locked eyes. Marinette gave him a gentle smile. "Maybe later, alley cat."

"It's a promise!" He saluted to her before turning and leaping off into the city. Marinette clenched her teeth as she thought about her friends that were trapped there. There was a gentle wind felt like ice against her. She shivered before she turned towards her trapdoor. Now was the time for a Lucky bug to appear.

When Ladybug finally made her debut, she saw that her some friends had been removed from the scene. Alix was still covered in green goop but she was out of danger. The ring of fire was still there but there was no Nino inside it. Nathaniel was….still frozen. He was still stuck there, but she didn't fault Chat for it. It would be hard to push a chunk of ice in the middle of a battle. Her eyes flew to her partner who was playfully taunting the twin children. Whipping her lucky yo-yo, Ladybug wrapped it around Chat's torso and flung him towards her before he was frozen by a ball of ice. He slid up to her and looked at her with a grin.

"Bugaboo! You always know when to  _slide_ right in don't you?"

She gave him a smirk while trying not to blush at what happened before, "Of course! And haven't I told you not to call me that, Chaton?"

"Ah, but My Lady it fits you so well~" he purred and she rolled her eyes.

In a swift movement, she removed her yo-yo from him and the cat stood up next to her. Her eyes went to the crazed twins. They stood back to back. Their arms were out and aligned with each other. Their guns were drawn at them. When they shot them, one massive fireball flew out at the heroine. Ladybug jumped to the right while Chat went to the left, successfully dodging the ball. She saw it fly into the ground and set it on fire.  _Great more damages._

The cat wiggled his eyebrows at her, "It seems we have a fiery bunch on our paws."

She ignored the pun and let her eyes scan over the duo to search for the hidden akuma(s). "Chat now is not the time for jokes, we have akuma to purify. I need you too—" she was cut off by a shout and a blast of green shot out at her.

Without wasting a second, Chat grabbed her and together they jumped out of the way. The green substance hit the spot they had been. It was slime. Green disgusting slime. The way it squished against the ground made her shiver in disgust. Her eyes found their way to the cat that saved her from the horrid substance. He was looking down at her with a small blush on his face before he broke out into a grin. He was so close. Her heart thumped, much to her annoyance. Brushing the strange beating aside, Ladybug rolled her eyes. He set her down and looked back at the Akumatized victims.

"Hand over your miraculous, you lovebirds!" the girl yelled.

"Lovebirds!?" she cried in disbelief.

"I'm not fond of birds, but I don't mind bugs." Chat wiggled his eyebrows and draped his arm around her shoulders, making her groan.

Ladybug repressed the urge to facepalm. "We're not Lovebirds," she sent a glare at Chat, "nor lovebugs…"

The alley cat grinned and chuckled. "One day you'll see, My Lady, that we are just simply meant to be."

"Let's get back to the Akumas, silly kitty," she smirked.

Chat shrugged his shoulders before twirling his baton. "So what's the plan, LB?"

Ladybug gazed at the children. Both had Hawkmoth's mark over their eyes, A butterfly symbol. She looked over them and saw their pistols. They seemed to be the only thing that stood out.  _That must be where the akuma are._ Without warning, they aimed at them and instead of the ball of flame, an icy blue one flew out. She and Chat leaped out the way once again, however, this time Ladybug was stopped. She looked down as saw her foot frozen to the concrete.  _Damnit._ The duo smirked before aiming at her once again. She could see a bright red from inside the barrels. Just her luck. She was stuck and-

Suddenly, Chat jumped up and using his trusty baton, he smacked the guns down. Unfortunately, they didn't leave their clutches, but thankfully the fireball was directed downwards. However, it set the ground more ablaze.

"Lucky Charm!" she shouted out, throwing her yo-yo in the air. Red and white light collected around the spinning yo-yo and out dropped a spotted baseball bat into her waiting arms.  _What am I supposed to do with this?_ Her sapphire eyes went to the two kids and the world slowed. Everything turned gray and she collected the pieces to her plan. "Hey!" She gained the attention of the duo and chat. "You want my miraculous?! Then you'll have to burn it off me!"

They growled and Chat gave her a puzzled look before his eyes widen in realization. "LB?! You're not—"

"Chat, trust me."

The cat paused before he broke out a smile and his eyes softened under the mask. The sight made her heart flutter. A feeling she never felt around the feline until recently. Feeling her heart's small betrayal, she ripped her eyes away from the flirty kitty and back at the pair. They smirked before they shot the familiar red ball of flame at her. Taking up her bat, she used what she remembered from what Takashi told her about baseball and the form to use when handling a bat. However, her stance was a little off because of the ice. That didn't matter at the moment, she still held the bat up.

When the ball drew near, she gathered all the luck she had—which was to her belief, barely any—and swung.

_**CLANK** _

The bat made contact and the fire flew towards the pair. She watched their eyes widen before the twins pulled away from each other to dodge the ball of fury. Ladybug smirked and used the red and black bat to smash the ice that her foot. She saw Chat leap after the male twin, so she sprinted towards the female. She twirled her yo-yo and wrapped it around the girl's ankle. She gave it a swift tug and the girl went down. Jumping over her fallen body, she kicked the pistol out of her hand and brought her armored foot down on it. The golden weapon broke right in half, revealing an evil butterfly. LB smiled at the small success and swiftly caught the little bugger.

_**Beep** _

To her surprise, it flew out orange. The odd color confused her greatly, but she decided to save the question for another time. Once the 'purified' version flew away, she glanced at her partner. Chat seemed to be having a tough time with the other twin. He kept furiously dodging his small balls of fire. She noticed, however, that the fire did not last. It hit the ground and faded away each time. She smirked at the obvious weakness.

"Chat Noir!" she called out to him and threw him the luck charm, which he gracefully caught.

The cat smirked before taking a swing at one of the fireballs. The form he used was very familiar. It reminded her of Takashi.  _But that's impossible. Unless he plays baseball…does he?_ She didn't know why she felt so interested before. Besides, if she found out such information, then she could potentially find his identity. Something she…didn't…want.

_**Beep** _

The child saw the ball coming towards him and he squeaked like a frightened mouse before ducking. He held his hands over his head. The gun was in one and luckily, it got shot out of his hand and burnt to a crisp before smashing onto the ground. The darkened butterfly flew out but was captured by Ladybug. She observed the same thing happen to this bug.  _Since when did this happen?_ She had many fights before, only now did she notice the oddity of this. She turned to Chat, who was walking towards her with his normal swagger. Bat in hand as he handed it to her. She smiled at him. They shared a small celebratory fist bump as usual before she took the bat from his paws.

"Where did you learn how to bat like that, Chaton?"

He seemed to become sheepish. As he rubbed his neck all shy-like. A manner that reminded her of her other favorite blonde yet again. "Well, I picked it up from a teacher of mine."

"Oh?" she smiled before twirling the bat and throwing it in the air, casually finishing up business. With a yell, the town was restored.

_**Beep, Beep** _

He nodded while her hand flew to her earrings. Her time was running way to short. She looked at Chat and swore that she saw a look of sadness on his face. Was he sad to see her go? She mentally shook her head. Clearing her thoughts about such things. "See you later!" she threw her yo-yo and let herself fly. The damage may have been done, but she still has to check out her own mental damage. Which is, seeing who saw her like… _that…_


	16. Aftermath

It was cold

But it was worth it.

When Ladybug's healing light covered the city, a certain boy in ice melted. The redhead looked around and saw that people were slowly coming back to the street. The battle was won, yet again. He quickly remembered why he had been frozen over and turned around. Almost expecting to see a beautiful girl with hair like the night sky and eyes like the stars. Instead, he found no one. He didn't know why he was surprised.

Letting out a sigh, he ran his hair through his red locks. That was the moment his turquoise eyes found large onyx colored ones. They belonged to a familiar child. The kid was dressed in a black tux with a yellow undershirt. He wore a black and yellow fedora on his head. Around his neck was a yellow pacifier. However, his artistic eye caught how dull the color was. It reminded him of a colored lightbulb that lost its shine over time. The child smirked. A very unsettling sight.

"You got guts." his voice was squeaky.

"T-Thanks?"

Something shined in those dark eyes and they seemed to harden like steel. "How much do you care about Marinette?"

It was an odd question. How much did he care about Marinette? The kind, sweet girl who put her heart in everything and cared about everyone. She gave so much and no one ever gave back. A normal person would've gotten upset at the revelation, but she would just smile and keep giving. _If I ever got the chance to pay her kindness back, I would do it in a heartbeat._

Suddenly the toddler smiled. "That's all I needed to know."

That confused him. "W-What? But I didn't say any—" he was interrupted by the baby throwing a small box his way. It bounced off his chest and he had to act fast to catch it before it hit the hard ground. Once the small box was in his hand, he noticed how expensive it looked. There was even an indigo ribbon tied around it like a bow, on a Christmas gift. The redhead looked at the baby with confusion. "W-What is this for?" he shyly asked.

"You wish to pay her back right?"

He nodded his head, "Yes, but how did you—?"

"Then I'd say start by protecting her." the baby turned away in a fashion that reminded him of those cool scenes in movies. Strange but true.

He stopped at that. Protect her? "But I'm…I'm not strong enough. I don't have the courage to stand up for myself, let alone protect her…" Yes, that was true. How could he protect someone, if he couldn't even stand up for himself against a bully?

The baby looked back at him, over his shoulder and smiled. "You already did that today. Throwing yourself in front of her to protect her from that hit. For all you know, you could've died, but instead, you set aside your fear and did it anyway. That's courage, Nathaniel. The willingness to act in spite of fear. If you can accept that, then I suggest opening that box." Nathaniel stared, dumbfounded. The baby turned away and started to walk away. He didn't even bother wondering how the kid knew his name. His eyes wandered to the box in his hand.  _Courage…huh?_  A smile broke out on his face as the toddler's words ran through his mind. _I guess so._

He opened the box and out fell a piece of folded paper. Underneath it was a ring. It had an indigo gem in the very center. Around it, in white block letters were the words 'Mist Guardian'. The gem had an image in it. It was of a dripping paintbrush and a pencil. They seemed to cross one another, like an X. It was a very beautiful and expensive ring. He could see the craftsmanship that was used for it. Nathaniel looked down at the paper and bent over to pick it up. Once it was settled in his hand, he used his thumb and his four fingers to open it. Inside it read this:

_Dear Mr. Nathanael Kurtzberg,_

_To find the reason behind this ring,_

_Talk to Marinette Dupain-Cheng._

_-Vongola Tutor_

* * *

When Marinette met up with her now-free guardians at her home, she was greeted with one awed DJ and a tomboy smirk.  _Oh god._

"That was amazing, Marinette! A bit strange, but amazing! I mean the fire and wow! It was nothing like…that one time." Alix sounded thrilled in the beginning but toned it down once she mentioned the last akuma incident.

Nino grinned and added on. His hands waving around to emphasize. "I don't know what that was, but I think you were really cool out there."

Marinette blushed at that. "Did you guys see anyone else around the scene?" Thankfully, they both shook their heads. She let out a relieved sigh.  _Oh, thank god! I thought I was ruined._  She'd rather not have the public know about Marinette Dupain-Cheng's sudden fire powers. They would mistake her for a "new" hero while those who knew about flames would figure her out. Only the underworld knew about them after all.

"However, I did see Alya." Alix added, which made her heart stop. "But she came around after Chat Noir flew away with you."

 _Oh god, they saw that?!_  Nino nodded in agreement, "Yeah, then Ladybug kept the Akumas at bay!"  _What…_

Alix seemed to brighten up at that. "Yeah! She was pretty cool. I mean, she looked different than normal, maybe it was her hair? But it was awesome, she jumped circles around them and shot'em! I didn't know she had a gun! It was killer!"

Marinette looked at them in disbelief and let out a small laugh.  _That wasn't Ladybug…_ She felt a sudden urge to just collapse to the floor in her disbelief. The two in front of them continued to talk about it, as she sighed and looked off to the side. At least no one saw me like that. Other than these two and Chat. She was safe. For now.

"It was a great battle, but I'm feeling hungry. All that fire reminded me of warm croissants." Nino spoke as he patted his stomach.

Marinette and Alix laughed at Nino. Marinette led them to downstairs to the bakery, where she saw the artist standing off to the side of the line of people, holding a piece of paper. He turned towards them and Marinette heard a gasp. And she knew it had come from her and her guardians. On the boy's hand was a ring. A very familiar ring.

Nathaniel and her locked eyes. She stared at him with wide eyes while he looked at her with confusion. _You have to go to be kidding me…_ Marinette sighed before sucking in a large intake of air. She squared her shoulders and walked towards him. She didn't have to look to see that Nino and Alix were not that far behind. When she stopped in front of him, the DJ and skater walked on either side of Nathaniel. Altogether, they made a triangle around him.

She stared him in the eyes before opening her mouth in a hushed tone, so the other occupants of the bakery could no hear. "Where did you get that ring?" She eyed him skeptically.

"A child gave it to me." He answered looking like a frightened deer in headlights.

"What child?" Nino questioned.

Nathaniel turned his gaze to him and begun explaining the child's appearance. He hit all the key points that Marinette had commonly seen Reborn wear. A fedora. A tux with a yellow dress shirt. A strange chameleon. And a yellow pacifier. He also said something about the pacifier. He told them that it was dim and dull. Like a light bulb that lost its shine and light. Now that it had been pointed out, she could agree. It did look dull. However, she wrote it off as being old. Maybe it was a trinket from his younger years? Who knows? The only thing that mattered was why the artist was here with a ring.

She didn't like to judge people but...Nathaniel was shy. Like extremely shy. She could not imagine him protecting her at all. It was just not realistic. But hadn't he protected her earlier? Before she had to leave him and everyone else there because of...a certain situation? He idiotically chose to protect her when he should've ran. Her, Ladybug. Not that anyone knew. She was the one who should've protected him. But she froze. That was idiotic. Not him. He was courageous while she had turned to stone.

"—the words 'Mist Guardian' carved—" she tuned back in to hear him show them the ring.

"Mist?!" She accidentally spoke too loudly, causing the occupants of the bakery to glance her way. Embarrassed, she ducked her head down and lowered her voice. "Mist?" In response, the artist nodded his head.

She heard Alix suppress a laugh while Nino sighed. "Maybe we should take this discussion someplace else?"

"Good idea, Music Freak." Alix chimed in.

At the new nickname, Nino made an irritated expression towards the skater girl. However, he chose to grumble about it instead of taking action. A move that made Marinette grateful. The secret hero led the group to the back, where they would go up the apartment stairs to her home. They all shuffled in silence when they finally got inside the door. For once, she was glad her parents were so busy in the bakery. She didn't feel like lying to her parents yet again. The hero herded them up her stairs to her attic-like room. Well...she was until she remembered one crucial detail.

Stopping in her tracks, she twisted around and stopped them. "Why don't you guys wait down here? My room is pretty messy and I should really clean it."

Alix and Nathaniel both nodded in agreement while Nino gave her skeptical look. The trio then turned around and moved to her living area. Not wasting any time, she sprinted up the stairs as fast as lightning. Once the trap door slapped closed behind her with a loud slam, Marinette rushed towards her "collection". She tore down all her photos with Tikki's help and ripped her schedule down. The photos were relocated to a drawer or her diary container, depending on how small the picture was. While Tikki was busy fixing her screen's background, she had a tough time figuring out where to put her schedule. She nearly stuffed it under the chaise, but her mind created a "What If" situation.

What if it poked out and one of them saw it?

What if it rolled out? They would all see it and judge her.

She could imagine her embarrassment so clearly. They would misunderstand the purpose of such a schedule. Sure the information was collected with some...certain tendencies, but she had good intentions! Honest. So the only solution she came up with was to put it in the closet. That way she could expertly hide it behind her hanging clothes and maybe some shoe boxes. With her plan now set, Marinette rushed to her closet and ripped it open. Her plan was stopped immediately. Her closet was not her closet anymore. It was a small home for her little companion. The space had so much stuff that she had to rethink how small her closet originally was. Surely it wasn't this big.

She spotted a bricked fireplace. It was blazing brightly and she could feel the heat coming from it. It was also way too fancy to be in her house and its style was certainly not French. On the opposite side of the room(?) she noted a fairly large but small dining table. It was perfectly round and its surface was a glimmering transparent glass. On it was a vase that held a bundle of beautiful Lilies.  _If I'm not mistaken...isn't that Italy's National flower?_  She moved on to another area that held a spiraling staircase. That led to a second floor. The floor was shorter and was lined with a glass railing. Allowing her to see a dark oak desk that was a lot neater than hers and a modern styled bed. The bed had red sheets that resembled silk and matching pillows. Its frame was a gold— _Is that solid gold?_ —color that had many intricate designs. Another gold piece was the couch. Back on the lower floor, sat a couch. It had a shiny red with a golden frame.

And sitting upon this couch was the essence of her irritation. Sipping away at some sweet smelling teas was Reborn. He sat with his tiny legs crossed and a small ruby red and gold saucer in his hand. The cup he drank from was the same style as the saucer. Its color was ruby while on it were intricate golden markings. From her angle she could see that from within the cup, it's interior was the same shade of red as the rest. All in all, they looked extremely expensive.

Gritting her teeth, she tried to be calm about this...development. "Reborn...what happened to my closet?"

The secret adult smiled innocently her way and gave her the most ridiculous response. "What closet?"

"The closet that all my clothes were in! All my creations! What did you do to it!?"

The child took a sip. "Redecorated it."

"I-I can see that." She was seething. "Where did you put them?!"

"Put what?"

She snapped. "My Clothes! MY SHOES! ALL my Creations! Don't you know I need those!?"

The child gave her a completely fake look of realization. "Oh, you mean those scraps of cloth and sketchbook full of clothes? Those got burned while I was redecorating."

"W-What!? N-NO!" She shrieked. "You didn't!" He only gave her a nod.

Defeated, she slid to her knees, dropping the schedule next to her. Her hands clutched her head. Her mind went wild.  _Now I'll never get into college. Not without a portfolio. I can forget about interning for Gabriel Agreste! Now I won't be able to get close to Adrien! I don't want to work at the bakery or some office job-!_  Her intense thoughts were interrupted by something cardboard hitting her head and falling on the floor.

Her bluebell eyes blinked and she gazed in front of her. It was a box with the lid coming half way off. She could see the sparkling fabric inside. Excited, the girl lurched forward and opened the box. Inside she found the clothes she made. All neatly folded. She lifted some to inspect them further when she noticed a couple of sketchbooks that lied at the bottom. She felt tears of relief welled up in her eyes. Looking up, Marinette found Reborn standing before her, his foot on another box, one full of her creations she assumed. She smiled brightly and dropped the clothes back in the box.

"Don't look so pathetic Dame-Mari. I'm not stupid, I know how much these mean to you." At that, hero lurched forward and scooped Reborn up into her arms.

"I knew you cared!"

"Yeah, yeah," Reborn told her.

"Marinette!" A shout rang through.

Suddenly, there was a loud and hurried knocking at her trap door. Confused, she turned her head towards the source and her friends busted through it. Nino was the first to run in. He ended up tripping on the frame and falling headfirst into the floor. Nathaniel fell in after him, landing on Nino, who looked to be trying to get back up. Lastly, Alix came up. She was the only one who didn't fall down. She looked down at the boys on the ground before huffing. The skater stepped over them and walked towards her.

"Are ya alright, Marinette?" She asked, looking around the room.

Marinette flushed with embarrassment. "Ah, I'm fine! I was...just...cleaning my room."

The girl's eyes found her open "closet" and dilated in surprise and awe. "Is this your closet?"

"U-Um.."

The boys finally got themselves up—rubbing their faces in pain—and laid their eyes on her new and 'improved' closet. Nino was the first to speak up. "Damn!" He dragged the word out to show his shock. "What happened to your closet? I thought people put clothes in it not—" he wildly gestured towards her closet, "—this!"

"Yeah." Nathaniel and Alix both agreed in sync.

"U-Uhm...well...you see...someone 'decorated' my closet." She held Reborn higher and emphasizing on who that someone was.

"Well...the little man's got style," Nino stated.

"And a lot of money, is that real gold?" Alix leaned forward to touch the couch's frame when Reborn popped out of her arms and slapped her hand.

The skater recoiled away, rubbing her hand. The tutor sat on his couch and pointed his tiny index at her. "No touching."

"Alright." She held her hands up in surrender causing him to smirk.

"Hey, what's this?" The question made all their heads turn. Nathaniel was holding the rolled up schedule in his arms. Mortified, Marinette shrieked and lunged at him. Grabbing the schedule out of his arms. She carefully cradled it in her arms, making sure that no one could see its contents. The baffled look on her friends faces as they stared at her made her realize her actions.

"It's...uh...just my Schedule! Ya know! I have something planned for Alya on here and I didn't want to reveal it just yet. Ya know?! I mean it's not like it'll be something big, but I think that she would like it very very much and—" she rambled on and on, with lie after lie.

Well sort of. It was true that she had something that she planned to make on for Alya. Her best friend's birthday was arriving soon and she wanted to do something special for her. Maybe a ladybug sweater or hoodie. Or something. Whatever it would be, it had to be Ladybug themed. It was only fitting for the creator of the Ladyblog after all.

"Alright. I think we get it, Mari." Nino smiled at her.

The hero smiled sheepishly at him. "W-Well then, I'll put this away..." She slid towards the closet, but Reborn shook his tiny head. Defeated once again, she backed up towards her chaise. Bumping into it when she went too far before leaping over it and ducking under it. Embarrassment wore on her face like a scarf as she stuffed her 'schedule' under it. Popping back up, she met with the very confused looks of her friends.

Laughing nervously, she sat on her chaise. "So, shall we begin this...questioning?"

* * *

When Adrien arrived at school that next day, he already knew he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of Marinette after what occurred yesterday. He didn't understand why that had happened. Ladybug had told him that she brought hers forward with an intense desire. He wondered if it was the same for Marinette. She was highly concerned for her friends after the fact. The thing that stayed on his mind what how similar their expressions were. Adrien wished that he could find out more information on the subject, but the only ones who knew were LB and Reborn. Since Reborn had been the first, he had a feeling the babe knew more than he let on. He wanted to question Reborn about it. And come out alive. But the infant was nowhere in sight. The last time he saw him was at the attack yesterday, but he was too busy avoiding those bullets.  _Wait!_  A memory came back to him. He had said that he would talk to Marinette again. His work just caught up to him after the incident. He wondered if he should swing by.  _Is after school too soon?_

At the doorway of the school, he noticed that his friend was not where he usually was. Being logical, he excused it as Nino being late or absent. _But he would've told me...right?_  Adrien walked inside the building and saw Nino standing in a ring of people. His back was to him. Next to him was Marinette and Alix, however, …across from him was Nathaniel holding his sketchbook and a pencil. Curiosity grabbed ahold of him and he made his way to them. Putting on the friendliest smile, he greeted them.

"That's why we must be caus—"

"Hey, guys!"

All four of them jumped and turned to him. Nino spun around so fast and threw a fist his way. Thankfully it stopped right at his nose. Adrien's eyes were blown wide.  _Did that just happen?_  The DJ looked at him and seemed to notice that it was just him.

"O-Oh hey, Adrien! Dude, don't scare me like that." he pulled his fist away and seemed to relax.

That's when he noticed how tense the others were. Alix looked like she was ready to kick his face in. Marinette's fists were clenched at her side. Nathaniel had tightened his grip on his pencil. Thankfully they all relaxed once Nino had.  _Now, this is new…_

"Hey…you guys okay?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Y-yeah!" they all answered and a few nodded their heads.

His eyes wondered over to Nathaniel and his heart stopped. He had a ring as well. Unlike the rest, it was indigo. Why does he have one as well? That's when he remembered Marinette's explanation. His heart was at ease for a bit. The only thing that unsettled it was how left out he felt. He knew that it was just a ring, but everyone who got one seemed to become a part of something. First, Nino, who followed Marinette around right after getting one. Then Alix, who stuck by them once she got one. Now Nathaniel. It's as if they knew something he didn't know. Or they were a part of something that centered around Marinette. Not even Alya was involved. For a yearlong trial, it is very strange.

"Mari-chan!" a deep and playful voice rang out causing their heads to turn.

Standing there was Yamamoto-sensei—As he told them to call him, claiming that he wasn't used to being called Monsieur Yamamoto quite yet—a normal smile on his face and his bamboo sword over his shoulder. He was dressed in his normal suit. However, the jacket he wore was now off and slung over his forearm. The blue dress shirt was still there and the tie and pin were as well. The arm that was holding the jacket had its hand tucked into his pocket.

"I see you have some new additions to the team!" the mentor grinned.

Adrien watched as Alix and Nathaniel both gawked before turning to Marinette. "D-Does he know!?"

The girl blushed at the attention before nodding. "Yeah…"

"B-But—" the two of them stammered while Adrien stood there confused.

What did Mons- Yamamoto-sensei know? What was going on? What was he missing? Marinette just smiled at her friends. "Don't worry. We can trust him." The two relaxed before waving at Yamamoto. The swordsman gave them a grin before he looked Adrien's way. The Asian flickered back and forth between him and Marinette. The girl seemed to notice because she gave him a firm glare. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Well then! Good job gaining more friend Mari-chan! I'm sure Tsuna would be proud."

It was only bad luck that he had looked to see Marinette's expression from that statement. She gave a blinding smile. Brighter than the sun. Her cheeks were dusted pink and dotted with stars. She seemed to glow under the light. Adrien felt his heart thump hard in his chest.

_Oh no._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this, we're finally caught up with FFN. YAY! (still two chapters behind thanks to some merging on my part, but still yay!)


	17. Colorful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reborn surprises Marinette's class with an improv trip to the Louvre. While most of her peers are bummed out by this boring trip, Marinette is glad that it's something normal for once.

Marinette was busy doodling in class when her worst nightmare occurred.

"Hello Class." she heard the squeak of her mentor and nearly cried. The class seemed confused at the new "teacher". Reborn was ask dressed up in a black cap and gown ensemble. He even had a mini tassel. "I am Monsieur Reboyama, I shall be substituting in for your teacher." There were some smiling faces at that. There was a big project that they had to present that day, so everyone was relieved. Marinette hadn't managed to get the time to complete it, however now (she couldn't believe she was saying this) thanks to Reborn, she got more time.

"I know you all are supposed to present today—" various people groaned in protest, "—however, we shall be doing an activity today instead." Ears perked up and eyes dazzled with interest. "We'll be taking a small educational trip." Nino rose his hand and Reborn acknowledged him with a simple tilt of his head.

"Where will we be going?" Nino asked.

Reborn smirked, "The Louvre."

Chloé scoffed in disgusted at the thought and the rest of them groaned. Each kid rolled their eyes. With the exception of Marinette of course. She was honestly relieved. Knowing Reborn, she expected something ridiculous like a death mountain or a trip to the Amazons, where they'd be forced to fight animals. Or something like that.

"But we always go there!" Someone pipped up

"Do not worry young ones. I promise this trip will be...to die for." He smirked and held up a stack of papers. "Would a kind soul please pass these out for me?" No one bothered to raise their hand. Reborn scanned the room before she saw his eyes lock onto something. "You! In the back. Juleka—was it? Would you be a dear and pass these out for me?"

The girl stood from her seat and descended the stairs. When she got them from the tutor, she began passing the papers out to each of the rows. Going from the steps to all the way to her seat back to the desk. Marinette studied the slip. It was a waiver. The kind that one would fill out before partaking in something dangerous. She had a bad feeling about this. Reborn taking her class on a "field trip" could only spell out disaster. He may have claimed that it was the Louvre, but for all, she knew he could be taking them to a secret mafia base and planning to make everyone join. That would be horrifying. She could only imagine that Chloé wouldn't hesitate to inform her father that her classmate was a mob boss. Adrien would be disgusted with her. Alya would be angry that she had kept it a secret. Her reputation as Marinette would be shattered.

_I would have to live the rest of my days on the run. All my dreams would go down the drain._

"It's mandatory that you all sign this. If not, you'll spend this hour doing some homework I've made for those not going." the tutor informed. He suddenly hummed and addressed another classmate of hers. "Nathaniel? Do you have a question?"

She turned in her seat and saw her mist guardian with his arm raised in the air. A blush overtook his cheeks as he put it back down. "Ah yes. If I may ask, why the waivers? It's just the Louvre."

"Just procedure." there was a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You're old enough to fill out a waiver, no?" The class hesitated before nodding. Some—like Alix—just went in and signed the paper. Others—Max in particular—read through it fully.

_How great._ Marinette's eyes scanned the paper. She suspected that this was his idea to start training her guardians. He was already training her.  _And Adrien._ She thought bitterly. The boy didn't need training. He didn't need the Mafia life. It didn't matter if his home life was a mess. She didn't want him to get involved and that was that.  _It's time I put my foot down about this once and for all._ She went in and signed the waiver. Knowing full well that if things went south, she would need to be there to protect her classmates.

"This trip is worth a lot of points that go towards your grade. So it's wise to go. However, the homework is worth just as much so that those who can't or don't want to will be able to gain the same amount of points."  _Awww I guess he does have a heart._ "However, there is an extra credit opportunity that I'm sure some of you would be wise to go after."

"Extra credit?" there was a mumble in the room.

Feeling brave, she raised her hand. "Um, Rebo—I mean Monsieur Reboyama, what does this extra credit entail?"

His smirk made the room grow cold and she knew that she would regret this. "Excellent question, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. The extra credit involves an essay. It can be about any piece of history from the Museum. I advise that those who aren't doing so well in this class should take it. It's a truly… _life-changing experience_." She didn't expect something so...mundane to be the extra credit. An Essay? Marinette shrugged her shoulders. The more mundane it was, the better.

Soon, everyone signed their slips. Reborn led them on their way. They went by bus to the Louvre. It was a relatively short and uneventful ride. Currently, her class was standing in front of the glass pyramid. She could hear her classmates around her buzzing with energy. Even her guardians were excited. Though, they seemed to be more excited about the prospect of extra credit. Their type of history class was...merciless.  _I hope Reborn doesn't rope anyone else in this mess._

"Attention, students!" she heard his squeaky voice. The voices were hushed as everyone turned their attention to the hitman in disguise. "First order of business get into partners of two."  _Travel buddies huh? What are we five?_

While everyone around her partnered up, she looked to Alya. The reporter had an evil glint in her eyes. It reminded her of Reborn.  _They would get along well._ Suddenly, Alya attached herself to Nino's side. Claiming to be his partner. She could see the light redness of their cheeks. The girl could tell that Nino was pleased. But he was conflicted as well. He kept looking over at her and back at Alya. She could see that he was battling duty over pleasure. She rolled her eyes and gave him a shooing gesture as to say that it was fine.  _Go have fun._ He deserved it.

The rain guardian brightened up and started to talk adamantly with Alya. Marinette chuckled and turned away from the "couple". She could just find Alix and- _oh!_ She spotted the skater near Kim. They seemed to be in a heated argument. She knew that it would only end in a dare.  _Okay, so she's taken._ She had another, new guardian after all. She could take him. She looked over at Nathaniel and saw Chloé dumping her stuff in his arms. Sabrina had been absent that day. The flu, sadly. Marinette guessed Chloé needed someone to follow her every command. Too bad Nathaniel was near her. The heir turned her eyes to her crush. He was looking at Nino with a smile. Her traitorous heart felt a spark of some hope. It seemed he was alone.

"Hey Adrien!" she heard Alya call out to the model. "Marinette doesn't have a partner yet!"

Her heart thudded in her chest. He was glanced at her and seemed to have a flush on his face. A smile bloomed on his face and she swore that she was in for a heart attack. This boy would be the end of her. She just knew it. Adrien waltzed over to her and stood by her side.

"Is it okay if we partner up?" it was a simple question. The answer was simple too. She could do this! All she had to say was yes! She can make a coherent sentence for once!

"Of course!" she slapped her hands over her face. She sounded a tad bit too enthusiastic. "Yes…yes you can be my partner," she mumbled. She peeked between her fingers and saw him still smiling at her.

"Alright!" he chirped.

"Now that you idiots have gotten paired up—" some kids yelled in displeasure at being called an idiot but Reborn kept going. "—You have time to roam around like the bugs you are. Then afterward there'll be lunch." she saw an evil glint in his eyes as he looked over at her. She had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

_Tap_

_Tap_

_Tap_

The sound of a pair of black shoes barely echoed in the bustling museum. The pair belonged to a man dressed in all black. He wore an expensive tailored suit with a silver suitcase in his hands. His hair was blonde and slicked back. His eyes were droopy and narrow. They looked bored as he watched the world around him. He spotted the crowd of children rushing in. His eyes instantly zeroed in on the brunette in pigtails. He turned to the nearest glassed artifact as he pulled out his phone. It was a silver, old flip phone. It instantly turned on and revealed a picture of that same girl. He looked up and his eyes connected to a random dark-skinned male. He gave him a slight nod before turning away. The blonde made more motions towards other "random" guests.

The selective guests fanned out. Each stood close enough to each of the pairs of kids. The blonde felt a sharp stare pierce right through him. A familiar shiver ran down his back. Looking towards the source, he spotted the very tiny instructor. The "teacher's" onyx eyes looked like twin voids as he nodded his head towards them. The blonde gentleman turned away from the teacher with a small smile.

The man curled his hand in and grabbed his shirt's cuff. Lifting it to his face, the man muttered into his cufflink. "Initiate operation H.E.I.S.T."

* * *

So far the Louvre trip was as normal as any other trip. They were all paired up but still traveled in groups. Those who wanted to see specific exhibits hung together. Her and Adrien had lingered in the art exhibit along with Mylene, Ivan, Juleka, and Rose. It was a complete heart melting time. She was with Adrien in a perfect date setting. Nothing would've wiped her smile off her face at all. Together they commented on the beautiful paintings that they've both, admittedly, seen billions of times. It was pleasant and fulfilling. Until her head started to ache again. As a blonde foreigner walked in the exhibit, she began having a migraine. It was the same feeling she had before she met reborn, before Crowned Ace, before Marcos' transformation, and before the last akuma attack.

Marinette's hand flew to her temple as she carefully rubbed her head. She closed her eyes and scrunched up her face. Adrien noticed her discomfort and laid his hand on her shoulder. She peeked out at him and noticed his concerned expression. "Are you okay, Marinette?"

She lightly shook her head. "No, But—but I'll be fine. I just need to sit for a minute." She walked forward, turned and sat down on the provided bench. She brought up her other hand and massaged both her temples. Adrien sat with her with a comforting hand on her back. She turned her attention to the strange man across the room. He held a silver suitcase in his hands. The man looked lost in the various paintings, but something about him seemed off. More people filed in. Three other foreigners. Although they wore more casual clothing. The shorter male had a red shirt on. The larger, buffer man had on a blue hoodie. Red had a black backpack and Blue had a sports duffle bag. Lastly, there was a woman in a yellow skirt and a white top. She had a gray messenger bag around her shoulders. To any other person, they wouldn't have caused any suspicion, but to her…they seemed dangerous. Red and Blue stood at each end of the hall of artworks while Yellow stood in front of a random painting towards the middle.

_Something's not right._ "I think we should move on. Maybe go see the Egyptian exhibit?" she got up and turned to her classmates. They gave her confused expressions.

"But we just got here," Rose commented sadly.

Mylene nodded and agreed with Rose, "Ivan and I wanted to linger here before moving on."

"You two can go on ahead, me and Rose can stay here. We wanted to do our essay on one of these paintings." Juleka gave her a friendly smile.  _No, no. We all need to leave._ She could feel it in her gut. Like something was about to go very wrong. Her eyes flicked back over to the blonde man with the suitcase. She noticed how his thumb peeked up and laid over the case's handle. He pressed down and held his thumb there.  _What?_ The man turned and walked their way. Time seemed to slow as he glided past them. Their eyes connected for a brief moment in time. Politely, the man gave them a slight nod. She noticed how his smile curled into a smirk. Red flags signaled in her mind as he walked away from her. The three others turned towards her group. Their hands clenched around their bags tightly. They seemed stiff and odd.

"Maybe, we should go." Adrien stood up with her and kept his eyes on the trio.

"But—" Just as the man walked across the threshold. The light died throughout the whole museum. There were screams and shouts along with loud sounds of metal falling. She heard gunfire and quickly dashed under the bench. The whole event took mere seconds to occur. Thankfully, the emergency lights clicked on and the room was bathed in red light. She found that she was not alone under the bench. Her classmates had taken cover as well. Marinette glanced at the exits and found that the security locks had caged them in. All of them. Red & Yellow's bags were on the ground. Blue still had his backpack over his shoulder. In all their hands were guns. Each pointed at them. Marinette briefly remembered Reborn's words before the trip.  _Life changing? More like Life Threatening._

"You brats better come out from underneath there." The blue one spoke in a harsh accent. When no one moved, he cocked his gun. That was enough for them to slowly crawl out. "On the bench." he gestured for them to sit and they did.

"What is this?" Marinette demanded.

The sportsman walked forward with his colleague and scoffed. "A tea party." She rose an eyebrow as he glared at her. "It's a heist, you idiot. Don't ask stupid questions."

The other man with an accent laughed. "Excuse my partner's sense of humor, kiddos." he giggled. Marinette kept her glare on them.

"There's a flaw in your plan. You all are trapped with us." Adrien stated with a smug look. That was right. They were all caged in together. All she needed to do was get the upper hand. Her eyes scanned their weapons. She would need to disarm them and detain them. There was plenty of belt barriers keeping the paintings safe from grubby hands. She took note of their bags and factored them into a plan.

"Who said we were the only ones?" Yellow replied with a smirk. That halted her plan completely. How many more of them were there? If she even escaped this, she would be easily captured again. Now she was worried about her friends in the other exhibits. Where they trapped like her?

"So why rob the Louvre in broad daylight?" She decided that if she kept conversation with these guys, she could survive. It was likely that they were the underlings of the operation.

"The thrill of it, Darling." was Blue's excuse.

"But, you know you're going to get caught." Rose pipped up. "Ladybug and Chat Noir will not let you get away with this." The men glanced at each other with matching smirks. They lifted their guns and cackled. The woman placed a delicate hand over her mouth and giggled along.

"We're counting on it." Yellow grinned. That wasn't something she wanted to hear. Suddenly, she felt a vibration coming from her purse. Then, a loud ringing ran through the air.  _I knew I should've kept it on silent._ Red glared at her and aimed his gun at her. She stayed still as she felt the stares of everyone in the room land on her.

"Answer it," he commanded. She sighed and slowly opened her purse. She noticed how Tikki hid underneath her phone. The sprite slowly pushed up the ringing device into her hand. Marinette pulled out her phone, taking note that it was Alya calling her. Yet, she had a bag of cookies that had tumbled out when she pulled out her phone. They landed on the floor and some of the treats cracked.

"Oh!" Blue dived forward and scooped them up.  _Now's my chance!_ In one swift motion, she kicked upward. Her foot crashed into Blue's jaw. His head flew back as she dashed forward. Her hand went for his wrist. The one that held his gun, to be precise. With a great twist, he lost his grip on the weapon. Marinette pulled him towards her and turned him around to face his partners. Thankful for his big size, she kicked him towards the group. He stumbled towards them and crashed into the woman.

Red charged at her, but Adrien intercepted him. With a strong left hook, the man went down. Adrien had the foresight to kick his gun away from him. Blue and Yellow, rightly furious, scrambled up and glared at them. Blue came running towards the duo while Yellow aimed. Blue was intercepted by Ivan, who held his own against the brute. Juleka picked up the lightweight bench and chucked it at Yellow. It hit her dead on. The woman crumbled to the ground. Adrien ran forward to aid Ivan. Together, they brought down Blue in no time.

"Come on, let's tie them up with belt barriers!" Marinette directed. The group gathered the surrounding barriers and used them to tie up each of the criminals. Ivan rested them all against the wall. He returned to Mylene's side and comforted the scared girl. Rose ran to Juleka and helped her gather the criminals' bags. Adrien placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder which caused her to turn her attention to him.

His face was flushed red, but he looked worried. "Are you okay?" She nodded, feeling a bit sheepish as his mouth turned upward into a smile. "That was pretty awesome…but! But very dangerous. You could've gotten hurt." He tried to hide his awe by switching over to another worried expression.

She smiled, "Yeah, well, we couldn't let them hold us at gunpoint forever."

"What do we do now?" Mylene questioned.

"We get out of here." Marinette and Adrien answered in unison. The pair looked at each other before turning away with matching blushes.

"How?" Rose asked. Marinette noticed the girls had the bags in their hands. Marinette hummed before gesturing for them to open them. They seemed confused but followed anyway.

"That's odd," Juleka commented.

"What is?" Ivan replied with a tilt of his head. Marinette strolled forward and look inside the bags. There was barely anything in them. Only random clothes (Duffle bag), cosmetics (messenger bag), and notebooks (backpack). Each all had wallets, car keys, and phones. It was just normal stuff. There wasn't even any extra ammo for their weapons. The only odd things they had were a pocket knife, a map of the museum, and some random colored boxes.

"They had no extra ammo. It was like they barely prepared for a heist." Marinette put her hand over her chin and thought. Maybe they  _were_ just grunts.  _Or idiots._ The possibility for both was strong. "In any case, we need to find a way out here." she scanned her surroundings and took note of a metal vent. She pointed up to it. "There! We'll build up to that vent and use it to escape."

And they did. They stacked the various benches to get to the vent. The structure was shaky, but with Adrien and Ivan holding it, she had nothing to fear. Marinette took the pocket knife and used it to unscrew the screws in the vent. When opened, she helped pile in her fellow students. Until all that was left was Ivan and Adrien.

Ivan shook his head at her. "My shoulders won't fit through that."  _He's right._

"I can stay here with Ivan." Adrien offered. "Just in case those guys wake up." Mylene decided to pipe up at the time. She wiggled her way back to the vent's entrance and offered a similar offer.

"If that's the case, I'd rather stay here with Ivan as well." Marinette noticed the blushes on the couple's face and sighed. She let Mylene down.

"Then, Adrien will come with us." Marinette declared. Adrien seemed hesitant, but Ivan waved him away. "Call if anything happens." They nodded at her as she helped Adrien into the vent. Juleka laid the map out and used her phone as a light source. The Egyptian exhibit was not too far away. Juleka plotted out the course in which they should take and the rest followed. The whole ride was silent as they wondered what of their other classmates. Marinette thought back to missed call she got from Alya.

_I hope they are okay._

* * *

They had all been enjoying the Egyptian exhibit and (some) preparing their essays. When the lights had gone out, the rest of the class had found themselves trapped by a group of six armed criminals. Nino and Alya had been held at gunpoint by two men in black. Nathaniel and Chloé were threatened by a man dressed in green. Kim and Max were also blocked by men in black. Alix had a girl in a purple business suit holding her down. Nino had his hands clenched into fists as he examined the situation. His heart raced as he felt his fears rise in him. Could this be a calculated attack on their class to get to Marinette?

_Tap_

_Tap_

_Tap_

The sounds of slow footsteps echoed through the room. Everyone turned their gaze and saw a tall blonde foreigner. His hair was slicked back and his eyes looked bored. They were droopy and narrow. His clothing hinted to his wealth. It was tailored to fit perfectly. In his hand was a silver suitcase. His other hand held an old flip phone. It was the oddest thing for a man of his obvious stature to have something that old on him.  _A burner phone maybe?_ He was busy looking at the phone's screen to give them the time of day. Nino noticed how none of the criminals made a move to apprehend him or threaten him. His eyes widened in realization. This was the ring leader.

"What do you want!?" He growled at him. The man looked up briefly.

"We just want to swipe some irreplaceable artifacts and sell them to the highest bidder." The man calmly stated. He seemed rather bored. Nino heard Alix grunt and swiftly looked her way. The girl was glaring the leader down as she pushed against the woman.

"Attacking in broad daylight? How bold of you!" She let out a huff as the woman pushed her face into the smooth floor. Her face contorted to one of anger and frustration as she turned her eyes to her capturer.

"I'll have you know, my father is all over this! You won't get away with your thievery!" Chloé screeched.

The man huffed and looked her way. He stared for a second before turning to the man guarding Nino. "Well, looks like it's our lucky day. We get our loot and another added prize. Not worth as much as the other girl, but I'm sure the mayor would pay handsomely for her return." He snapped his fingers and the green goon by Chloé hooked his arms under her shoulders and hauled her up. The girl screamed and Nathaniel decided to act. The artist tried his best. He sprung up and attempted to attack the man. But the goon swiftly threw the brat over his shoulder and brought up his leg. The appendage was sent into Nathaniel's stomach and the boy went flying. He crashed into the Egyptian scepter stand.

Nino, realizing that he couldn't do much at that moment, decided to keep the conversation going. "Other girl? What are you talking about?"

"Well, it wouldn't be wise to spill our targets out to a bunch of kids." the man hummed.

Suddenly, there was another shriek, this time it came from Alya. He turned and saw the goon had her phone in his hands. On the screen was Marinette's face. It seemed like the girl was trying to call her friend. The man glared down at her before slamming her phone into the ground and taking a cruel step on it. He heard the phone break before the damage was revealed.

"Hey! You owe me a new phone! You know how much material I had on there!?" she scolded. The man huffed but gave her no response.

"Don't even think about calling for help." the man chuckled cruelly. Nino brought his fist up in anger but saw the goon by him shift his stance. The man was ready to pounce even if he attempted to move for a minute. He thought back to how Nathaniel was thrown around and let his hand fall. The leader let out a loud laugh. It seemed the guy was enjoying this.

"Wait! Wait!" he choked out. "His hand! Was that a ring I saw?" He snapped his fingers and the brute grabbed Nino's hand. Nearly crushing his fingers as he brought it up to reveal his Vongola ring. The man's laughter slowly died as he turned to the rest of his goons. "Check the rest!"

The underlings checked all their hands, much to their protests. In the end, they rose the hands that had the rings on. He found himself surprised that they didn't grab Nathaniel. The boy was apparently not wearing his ring. If they got out of this mess, he'd have to talk to him about that. The leader's grin turned up with glee.

"Well, well, well! Two guardians! Plus Vongola Undicesima? What a lucky day!" The man giggled.

Alix and Nino growled out in Unison, "You stay away from her!" If anyone had looked them in the eyes, they would've seen a flash of blue and red.

"Or what!? What are you going to do?" Their growls died down but their glares stayed firm. No one said anything. The man laughed, "That's what I thought."

Suddenly, there was a loud war cry and everyone witnessed Nathaniel swing the priceless staff into the green goon's head. The man let go of Chloé, but the girl—notorious for the grudges she held—stomped her heel into his foot. The man fell down. This act of rebellion sparked similar acts in the rest of them. Nino whipped around and sent a blur of fists into the nearby men's stomachs. Alya used her bag filled with textbooks to finish off the men. Kim kneed the man by him and assisted Max. The woman holding Alix down became distracted by the apparent chaos. This allowed the skater to free herself and send a powerful kick into the lady's face.

It was like an all-out battlefield. Textbooks flew across the room courtesy of Alya and various artifacts were destroyed. Kim and Alix teamed up and sent a man into the glass that shielded the sarcophagus. The glass brutally cracked and the alarms sounded off. It wasn't lost on Nino how the leader just watched with calculating expressions at the damage. Nino strolled forward and threw a punch towards the man. The leader dodged, but Nino kept going.

"How disappointing. How do you expect to protect Marinette if you can't land a single punch?" The man commented as he dodged. Nino growled and let out a war cry as he started swinging faster. The man scoffed and turned his body to the side and grabbed Nino's wrist. In one swift motion, he pulled the rain guardian to the ground. His hand secured his neck while his knee pinned Nino. Nino tried to resist and turned his head to look at him.

The man was glaring down at him with such intensity. His gray eyes almost looked blue for a second. "Reborn was wrong to choose a weakling as her guardian." Nino's eyes widened at the mention of the kid's name. He noticed a spark of blue and saw the man's hand (that wrapped tightly around his wrist) given off a blue hue. He felt his senses start to fade. The leader's words echoed in his head.

_"Will you please be my guardians? Not because some ring says you are fit to be one, but because I want you to want to be by my side..."_ He heard the words Marinette spoke to them rival the doubt that was growing in him.

_"The Rain Guardian is the one that washes the Sky's problems away. He must never run dry."_ The man's line bubbled up in the chaos and he found a spark of determination fill him. Nino growled and shouted out as he pushed against the man keeping him under. Not noticing how the covering over the ring vanished and a bright blue flame exploded from his fist. It twisted towards the man's hand. Lucky for him, the fellow flame user ripped himself away. Nino picked himself up and turned to glare at him.

Everyone stopped and stared at Nino. The fire curled around his fists like a glove. It looked like he was wearing fingerless gloves of fire! His eyes started to fade into a blue hue. The man's grin turned borderline feral as he laughed in victory.

"Yes! That's it! Tell me, boy, what's that resolve that causes your flame to burn so bright?!" Nino growled and brought his fist up. Curling it up behind him, Nino pushed his fist forward and released a burst of energy that slammed into the man. It carried him and threw him into the wall. The impact left a large indent and cracks in the concrete. Then, as quickly as it came the fire demisted and his eyes turned back to normal. He was left was a feeling like he has been drained of all his energy. He was panting like he was out of breath.

"Nino?" He heard Alya speak and whipped his head around to look at her. She looked worried and pale.

"Al—" he attempted to respond when the exhaustion consumed him. The boy fell onto one knee and held himself there. He heard Alya call his name and run to his side. Her hands rested on his back as she comforted him.

"Are you okay?" She simply asked. Nino waited for a moment before looking up at her. He nodded his head. The reporter gave him a soft smile.

Suddenly, there was a burst of loud laughter that drew everyone's attention back to the leader. The man's suit jacket was undone, his tie was loose, and his hair was messy. He was picking himself up from Nino's attack. "That…woo! That was good." He combed through his hair and sighed. "But you couldn't keep it up. Not like I can." He reached into his shirt and pulled out a tiny cross necklace. He snapped it off his neck. His palm glowed blue and suddenly there was a sword in his hand. Its blade glowed blue.

"Ya know, I promised I wouldn't go all out. But now…" He laughed and swung the blade with skill. "Now, start up that fire boy!"

_**Clank!** _

Suddenly a metal vent cover crashed to the ground and out slipped Marinette. She stood firm with her back to Nino. He could imagine that she was giving the deadliest glare known to man. "That's enough!" her command echoed through the halls. The man frowned but did not move. She looked over at Nino and Alya. Her eyes were soft with concern.

"Are you guys alright?" They nodded and she smiled. When she looked away, the light hit her just right and Nino could've sworn he saw a black cloak dragging behind her. Orange flames dancing at the ends. Her hair was done up in her old classic hairstyle, a simple bun. With a blink, the image was gone. Yet he was left to stare in awe.

"Nino?" Alya whispered to him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah…" he spoke, mystified. "In fact, I think we're all going to be okay." he ended with a smile.


	18. Believing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Nino's flames subside, Marinette jumps in to save her classmates. In the midst of her fight, a potential guardian emerges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT INFO AT END NOTES!!

_**Clank!** _

The sound of a vent covering clashed against the ground. Marinette slipped out the opening and let herself fall onto her feet in the room. She stood tall (tall enough) and glared down the man standing in front of her. She had seen the better half to the fight and finally intervened.

"That's enough!" she commands and her voice carried through the halls. The man frowned but stopped his movement. She took a risk by taking her eyes off the enemy and looking at her friends. They were all staring. Some were developing bruises. Unconscious criminals laid at their feet. Her eyes found Nino and Alya. She noticed the awe in their eyes.

"Are you guys alright?" They nodded and she smiled their way. Nino had held his own pretty well. Though, she was curious how he made that fire blast from his fist. From the color, she knew it was a dying will flame. But as for how he brought it forward  _without_  Reborn's bullet or a pill was beyond her. She'd have to ask him later. Marinette turned her attention back to the man in front of her.

"You hurt my friends. I won't let you get away with that." The man sighed and briefly looked up. His eyes flicked back down to her.

"Alright. Let's do this. I hope you're as fun as he says you are."

 _He?_ She wasn't given an option to voice her confusion, because he shot at her like a bullet. Marinette turned her body to the side and successfully dodged the attack. Or so she thought. The man's feet hit the ground and slide to a stop. With a flick of his wrist, he redirected the blade at her face. Marinette knew she wouldn't be able to block it, so she opted to drop down in the crouch to duck underneath it. The ring leader brought his weapon up and tried to bring them down on her head. The secret heroine propelled herself up into a backflip. Just narrowly dodging the hit. The sword hit the stone ground and reduced the spot to a mere crater of chunks.

"Fast. But are you fast enough?" he hummed thoughtfully before continuing the assault. Marinette kept dodging. After all, she was currently weaponless. That's when she noticed the staff that Nathaniel held. With another backflip, she held up her hand and called out.

"Nathaniel! Here!" he seemed to get the message and chucked the scepter at her. She caught it and quickly used it to block the man's attack. However, the old artifact did not stand the test of time. It was sliced cleanly in half.  _Oh god. This is going to come out of someone's paycheck._ The man rose an eyebrow and chuckled at her sad attempt. Marinette gripped the upper half of the staff and chucked it at his head.

The artifact connected to his skull and momentarily disorientated him. Marinette swept her foot underneath his legs and the man lost his footing. He fell back as she popped up. With a powerful kick, his weapon left his hand. She stood over him. Victorious. Her classmates slowly exploded into applause and cheers. Marinette made the mistake of taking her eyes of the enemy.

The Enemy, who brought his foot out and tripped the girl. The cheers died instantly. He bounced up and placed a foot on her chest. Preventing her from getting up at all. Marinette grabbed his ankle and made a sorry attempt to pry him off. She watched as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a silver gun. He aimed it at her head. An action that caused her to still.

Without even looking at the crowd, he spoke out. "One move and I send a bullet through her skull." No one moved an inch. It seemed like everyone was holding their breath. "Oi, tell me. What's  _your_  resolve?"

* * *

This was not good. Not good at all! These words swam inside Juleka's head as she watched from the safety of the vent at her classmate's struggle. She wished she could do something. But her bad luck would get in the way. She curled her fists as she watched Marinette dodge each attack. If only there was something she could've done. Her copper eyes widened as she felt a soft hand over her own. She looked over and notice a short blonde girl holding her hand.  _Rose..._ The girl was focused on the fight and seemed just as worried as her. She turned her palm up and weaved her hand onto the girl's other. She gave her a reassuring squeeze and was given one in return.

Her eyes returned to the battle. It was bad enough that Adrien had mysteriously disappeared on their way here. So he was unable to aid in the fight. She wanted to do something herself. But, what could she do? She hated the idea of getting up in there to fight, but she had nothing else. Besides, she preferred to keep her distance. Stay Invisible.  _There's no way…_

"There  _is_  a way." There was a squeak. The girls looked up and saw a familiar infant dressed to the nines standing on the other side of the vent exit. Before she could formulate a question, the baby answered. "Home tutor, Reborn, at your service." The baby, now known as Reborn greeted them.

"What do you mean there is a way?" Rose asked.

He smirked and held his hand up to his fedora. A tiny chameleon climbed onto his hand. He then held his hand out to Juleka. She looked at him in confusion. He said nothing as the animal jumped from his hand and into hers. Suddenly, it glowed yellow and it shapeshifted in her hand. It elongated until the glowing stopped to reveal a green sniper rifle. She tried not to think about how that was even physically possible. Her brain hurt just trying to put logic to it.

"What am I supposed to do with this!?" she never shot a gun before, especially not a rifle. The baby hummed and threw another thing at her. Rose caught it for her. It was small enough to fit in her hand. When the girl opened her palm, she revealed a tiny green dart. It was transparent and had some sort of liquid in it. "A dart?" Juleka questioned. The liquid inside the dart had turned from clear to a glittery blue. It was like liquid glitter with cloudy spots of gold in it.

"Use that to save Marinette." Reborn simply stated.

At that moment, Juleka witness Marinette get slammed into the ground and the man pinned her down with his foot. He pulled out a gun an aimed it at her. Without even looking up, he spoke out. "One move and I send a bullet through her skull." No one moved an inch. It seemed like everyone was holding their breath. "Oi, tell me. What's  _your_  resolve?" Marinette didn't answer. Instead, she sported a look of shock. As if her life suddenly crumbled in front of her eyes.

Without looking, Juleka grabbed the dart from Rose and [with great difficulty] loaded it into the green rifle. If this was her chance to save Marinette, then by god was she going to take it! The girl looked through the scope. Her hands were trembling. The crosshairs lined up onto the offender. Her finger laid delicately on the trigger. Her mind swirled with doubt. She never even picked up a gun before! She was going to miss! Or worse hit Marinette! Her shoulders tensed up before she relaxed and pulled away.

"I can't." Juleka resigned.

The baby frowned. "Don't lie to yourself."

She growled and glared at him, "I'm not lying!" She whispered harshly.

He seemed unfazed. "Look through that scope again." She sighed and followed through. "What do you see?" She saw the blonde foreigner standing over her friend. Threatening her life. She heard Reborn huffed and felt a sudden warmth at her side. She pulled away and saw the infant standing there as Rose looked at him with wide eyes. He was staring at Juleka with a look of disappointment. The baby placed a hand on the scope and that part glowed yellow. When the light had faded, nothing changed. "Look." He commanded.

Juleka looked through and found that the man was surrounded by a clash of red and blues. Her vision turned to Marinette. She gasped at the sight. It was a wild and burning orange glow. Just like the one during that akuma attack. It was brighter and larger than the man by a mile. Yet it waved fearlessly like a flame. She felt drawn to its light. Like a compelling force trying to lure her away. An ocean of bliss crashed down on her as she felt herself get lost in the waves. She felt at peace. Whole. Harmonious. It was like something aligned in her and clicked on.

"Now aim at your target."

Wordlessly, she aimed back at the man. Feelings of anger rose in her. She could see how he threatened her precious friend. His expression was bored and unassuming. She closed her eyes for a moment. Thinking of a clear sky. Of her friends all together soaking in the sun. She remembered how determined Marinette was to help her with her picture curse. Her bluebells had burned with an unknown flame then. But now, she could see a brilliant orange fire. Her thoughts jumped back to the sky as she opened her eyes. Her target was set.

"Fire."

The assassin pulled the trigger and a loud bang exploded throughout the air. The dart sliced through the air and shot right into the man's neck. She felt the recoil of the gun bruise her shoulder. The action caused her to pull away from the weapon. It glowed and turned back into a chameleon. The creature leaped back to its master's arms. She looked back at him. Panting as adrenaline ran through her veins. She saw him smirk.

"You'll do great." He turned away and melted into the shadows.

* * *

_"What's your resolve?"_

The criminal's eyes bore into her own as she thought over that question. What was her resolve? What did that even mean? Her hold on his ankle loosened as she thought about it. He must've noticed her confused expression because the man slapped his hand to his face and leaned back with a groan of frustration.

"Are you serious?" He pinched the bridge of his nose before glaring back at her. "How do you expect to be Undicesima if you have no resolve?" her eyes widened at the title. Reborn told her that there was a rumor of someone knowing her. Now she was face to face with a man who  _knew._ Her breath had caught in her throat as her mind spun out of control.

_**Bang** _

Quick as lightning, something ripped through the air and into the man's neck. It was a little green dart with blue liquid. The fluid pumped into the man's systems in seconds. He slapped his hand over the spot. Feeling for the dart and then ripping it out. He stepped away from her, freeing her. Everyone watched as he wobbled around before slamming into the ground. Marinette got up and slowly crept towards him. She glanced over at her classmates. They were all holding their breath. She kneeled down and placed a hand on his throat.

Feeling a pulse, she sighed in relief and looked at where the shot originated from. She half expected to see  _that woman_ again. But to her astonishment, there was no one. Just Juleka and Rose. They looked rightfully shocked. She checked around them for Reborn but didn't see any sign of her tutor.  _Odd._ She was sure that if the lady wasn't involved it would've been his doing.

 _ **Clank!**_ Another sound entered the air and everyone snapped their head to look. Another vent fell from the ceiling and out slipped Chat Noir. He landed perfectly and looked up with a cocky smile. One that died at the state of the room. His green eyes blinked rapidly as he glanced around before landing on her.

"I missed everything didn't I?" Everyone nodded remorsefully. She noted how his ears deflate slightly.

"Well, you're here now. Help us tie up these criminals and get out of here." Marinette suggested with a slight smile. He nodded and they all went to work.

Everyone used nearby belt barriers to apprehend the criminals. Marinette, feeling spiteful, had tied the leader up with more than one barrier. They gathered them together and settled them in the middle of the room. When they went to get the others, Chat had offered to destroy the door. However, Marinette knew that she wouldn't have been able to fix the damage since 1) she wasn't ladybug at the moment and 2) this was not a situation that involved an Akuma. So she enlisted Max to get to the security room and disable to alarms and iron bars. This task was proved to be of no difficulty for the computer genius and he was able to open the iron bars. The class, now whole, dragged the three other criminals back to the Egyptian exhibit and placed them with the others.

They called the police and the mayor (courtesy of Chloé) who arrived in no time. Even Adrien's bodyguard. Then, it came to the point where they had to give their account of what occurred. No one had thought to get together and get their collective story straight. So when they asked, there was a moment of silence before Marinette decided to take the lead. She just hoped everyone would follow.

"My friends and I—" she pointed to the people that were with her in the art exhibit when she noticed a face was missing, "Wait, where's Adrien?"

"Oh! I had found him in the ventilation. Lost as can be." Chat laughed almost nervously. "I left him in the Revolution exhibit before coming here!"

The officer nodded and turned to his subordinate. "Go get the young Agreste for questioning." Of course, the model's bodyguard was already on the move.

"That's won't be necessary! I'll go get him!" Chat declared stopping both police and the bodyguard in their tracks.

The officer looked confused before asking, "But we need your statement as well."

Chat waved his hands as if to shoo him away. "I'll give it to you when I come back!" Before he could let anyone else say anything, the cat was off. It was a pretty odd interaction. She wondered why he would need to go get Adrien when the officer was fully capable of that.  _Maybe…_ She thought intensely before snapping her fingers. The answer was relatively easy.  _They're friends! Duh!_ The officer turned back to her and gestured towards her.

"Continue Mlle. Dupain-Cheng." She nodded and started to tell her tale.

"My friends and I were in the art exhibit when the lights went out. Then those three," she pointed out the three people. "held us hostage. We fought back and escaped through the ventilation. However, we left Ivan and Mylene behind." Her friends confirmed the story. "We made it to the Egyptian exhibit. Where we saw that man attack my fellow classmates."

The officer nodded his head and wrote the information down. "How were the suspects apprehended this time?"

She hesitated. The girl looked over at the two girls. The shot came from where they were, but…none of them had a gun. She then glanced at Nino. Marinette knew that there was no way she could even mention the fire he managed to manifest.

Looking back at the officer, she continued, "I engaged the criminal to defend my friends. However, he overpowered me and held me at gunpoint. Until…" She trailed off, thinking over her lie one more time, "Chat Noir showed up and saved us. He defeated the man and directed us to tie up the other criminals."

The officer took it in stride. He probably expecting that to be the answer. She looked over at her classmates. They seemed uncomfortable at the lie but no one said anything. "How were the others taken down?"

"I can answer that." Nino volunteered. "We fought back against them when we saw an opening."

"I see." The officer wrote it all down before putting his notepad away. "In any case, that was very dangerous of you all to do. One does not fight thieves. Especially armed thieves. Consider yourselves lucky." They all nodded and the man sauntered away. Just as Adrien came running.

"Adrien! Where were you!?" Chloé demanded. The boy stopped to catch his breath.

"I got confused and went the wrong way in the vents. Sorry." He apologized.

Marinette shook her head in dismissal. "At least you were safe." she smiled at him. He looked awed before his face turned red. The model paced a hand on the back of his neck and looked away with a fond smile. She felt her heart flutter.

"At least you were too. Er, I mean not safe, but like that everything worked out okay in the end." He responded. She never thought she'd hear him stumble over his words _. Well, this was a dangerous situation. He must be rattled_. His bodyguard came over and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Alright!" Rodger suddenly yelled out to them. They all turned to attention. "You're free to leave." There were multiple sighs of relief as everyone parted ways. With a discreet shoo, Nino left with a pale Alya and Alix stomped back home with Kim and Max. That left Nathaniel to be the one without an escort. Not that they all needed one, but the atmosphere that was in the room was tense. No one felt safe alone.

Marinette went to go by her guardian when a hand grabbed her wrist. She looked back at saw their resident blonde brat. She was about to make a sly comment when she saw the serious look on the girl's face.

"Look Dupain-Cheng. I don't know what you may be involved in. But I know that those men had it out for you." She tensed at the words. Of course, it would be Chloé that would find out first. And with all the police around them, she was trapped. She would be cuffed, questioned, and imprisoned. All because of a targeted assault. "Trust me, I know what it looks like when someone is trying to kidnap you or worst."  _Wait…what_? She spoke with experience. That was right. It wasn't all puppies and rainbows being the mayor's only child. Sometimes Marinette forgot that. "Just…keep whatever mess you have away from my school. Got it?"

Marinette nodded her head. "Yeah…I promise." that felt like a lie on her tongue, but it's what she needed to hear. The girl's shoulder's sagged before she ripped her hand away. The brat frowned and crossed her arms.

Putting up a front, she sneered, "Oh and another tip upgrade your hairdo. Pigtails are so last season."

The designer cocked her head with a smirk, "But Ladybug has pigtails."

"Yeah, but she can make it work, plus she has  _ribbons._ " The girl flipped her hair before sauntering off. With a smile, Marinette shook her head in exasperation. The girl waltzed over to her mist guardian and smiled at him. He returned the gesture easily.

"I guess it's just you and me. Shall we go?"

"Of course, right after you, Marinette—I mean…Boss."

She laughed nervously, "Just Marinette will do."

"Right." He nervously shook his head.

Together, they left the scene. Unaware of proud onyx eyes watching each step.

* * *

Far away and out of the prying eyes of people, mafias and superheroes alike, there was a building that held a special room. It was circular in nature. The walls had evenly spaced windows. Two had been opened to reveal the brightly lit city of Paris. The moonlight bounced into the room and reflected off the very expensive chandelier that hung in the room's center. The expensive light fixture sat above a round table that held two occupants. One was busy on a computer and the other was lounging around. Their feet were propped up on the table while they focused on the person that sat between the open windows.

They sat in a large throne-like chair. The wood was curved and painted pure gold. It was laced with red cushions that even curved around the armchairs. Sitting in that char was an adolescent girl. She had sparkling white hair that was pulled back in a long braided ponytail. It sat over her shoulder as she lounged across the throne. Piercing ice blue eyes were fixated on the typing guy.

The obvious computer genius pushed up his glasses and glanced over the girl. "It seems the radars picked up something interesting," his sly grin dropped into a sneer as he looked back at the screen, "Boss." the word was said with obvious distaste.

The albino smirked, "Well? Don't keep me waiting, Pet."

By the grit of his teeth, he spoke, "The radars picked up three flame signatures. A pure Sky, A Storm, and Rain. All in the same place…"

The "Boss" giggled, "It seems our dear Baker girl has found herself some guardians."

"Shouldn't we interfere now?" another female voice piped up. It came from a tall girl that stood at one of the windows.

"No. We need guests. Every party has guests." she spoke as if it was obvious. She hummed and swung her legs off the chair's arm. Her heels clicked on the smooth floor as she rested her elbow on the other arm. "For now—" she snapped her fingers, "—get me Paris' Le Milieu on the phone." A sudden woman, a maid, going by her clothing, scurried into the room with an old-fashioned telephone. She stood next to the boss and quickly started to dial up a number.

"What do you plan to do with them?" The other person at the table, a tall male with long blonde hair, inquired.

The girl licked her lips and giggled, "We need to prep our special guest before the party, no?"

* * *

The mixture of the gentle breeze and the misting flying up from the river brushed against her cheeks. Juleka stood at the edge of the boat. Her eyes remained fixed on the slowly moving world around them. Her mind was drifting to that incident from yesterday. She had given her statement to the police. She stuck with the story that everyone was playing. Chat Noir defeated him. Juleka had so carefully left out the part where it was  _she_ who stopped the man. Of course, it's not like anyone would believe her. Hell, she barely believed it herself. Only Rose knew.

That whole incident replayed in her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about how she brought that man down and the fire around Marinette. It was wild and compelling. It reminded her of her friends and family. She didn't want to admit it out loud but it gave her the feeling of curling up in front of a warm fireplace. Safe and home. The feelings it gave her scared her. For once in a long while, she feared something. It drew her to its light and yet she found herself stepping away in fear. Deep down, she knew that she wanted to run towards it. However, what if she got too close and the flames burned her?

_These kinds of things are better left looking at from afar._

She sighed and looked away. Her eyes found a tiny box upon the railing next to her. It was a dark purple with gold trim around it. Juleka tilted her head. Had her mother gotten her a gift? Or did her brother get it for her? She reached out and plucked it off the rail. Bringing it close, the girl examined the outside of it. During this examination, she found a logo imprinted on the bottom. A gasp escaped her when she recognized it. It had a logo of Vongola on it.

In her shock, she let go of it. However, the realization of how expensive it must've been had her quickly trying to catch it. It bopped around until she finally had a strong grip on it. She turned away from the edge and slide down onto the floor. Her birthday was months away and she wasn't big on expensive things. Juleka swallowed hard as she reached to open it. Her hand was trembling slightly. Whatever was inside was probably worth a kidney and a heart.

The girl closed her eyes and turned away as she opened it. She waited for a second before turning back and opening her eyes. It was…a ring on a chain. Connected to it by another ribbon was a white piece of folded paper. Juleka pulled the jewelry out of its box and brought it closer for inspection. It was silver with a purple gem in the center. The jewel had a faint image of three clouds. Engraved around the jewel were the words "Cloud Guardian". She placed the box down and used her hand to lift the chain. It was the same silver as the ring. But it was short. The toggle clasp at the end made it clear that it was a bracelet.

"A ring on a bracelet? How odd," she commented as she pulled off the loosely tied ribbon and opened the card. It read:

_Dear Juleka Couffaine,_

_In honor of protecting Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Vongola Undicesima,_

_You have been given the title Cloud Guardian._

_Congratulations._

_-Vongola Advisor, Reborn_

Now, this was worrisome. This Reborn knew about her involvement.  _But, Undicesima…what does that mean?_ The girl reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone. It didn't take long to get a translation. Apparently, it meant 11th.  _Why is Marinette referred to as Vongola Undicesima?_ She looked down at the box. The logo was still fresh in her mind. If the girl remembered correctly, the current head of Vongola Inc. was known to be the 10th generation CEO of the company. Vongola, 10th, 11th, Marinette. The whole thing spelled….Juleka gasped again.  _Is she the next in line!? But…how?!_

She looked back at the ring and studied it. Now that she was really looking at it she noticed how similar it looked to four other rings she saw. On Nino, Nathaniel, Alix, and…Marinette. Everything was starting to come together. Marinette, the next CEO of Vongola (she didn't know how a kid could be next in line) and her classmates with the same rings. They must all know. Did they also protect Marinette and earn the rings & titles as a reward? She slipped it carefully around her wrist. It rested there comfortably. She operated under the assumption that it was worth more than her life. If she somehow broke it…she shivered at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Ao3 hasn't been notifying people of updates, I'll be posting updates on my Tumblr from now on for all current and future stories. Finally going to use that blog for its original use. I'll also start to post future chapters there first and give it specific tags ("Lovely's Fanfiction" mainly) so look out! 
> 
> Tumblr: https://lovelypup25.tumblr.com/

**Author's Note:**

> Ciao-su~


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